Dealing with personal tragedy is never easy, butwhen you have a chosen family to lean on, it can help you pull through the darkest times.As daily fans ofThe TODAY Showknow, it is built on and thrives off the energy the co-hosts feed off one another. Currently co-anchored bySavannah GuthrieandCraig Melvin, who was promoted thanks to his work during the3rd Hour Today, alongside meteorologistAl RokerandCarson Daly,The Today Showis your source of joy in the morning.
The program’s success has given the show a dedicated third hour, which has been led bySheinelle JonesandDylan Dreyer. But fans know that things have looked a bit differently. Since December 2024,The TODAY Show’s Sheinelle Jones has been on leave as she dealt with a personal family matter. Today, her family onThe TODAY Showrevealed thatUche Ojeh, Sheinelle’s husband,has died of glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. Amid her heartbreak, they’ve been her biggest supporters.
‘The TODAY Show’ Family Periodically Updated Viewers on Sheinelle Jones
Sheinelle temporarily departed from her role on NBC News at the end of the year.She shared a few weeks into her absence, “Hi everybody…I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show.I want to share with you that I’m taking time to deal with a family health matter.It’s not lost on me how lucky i am to have not only the support of myToday Showfamily, but to also have all of you. Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon. Love, Sheinelle.” It wasn’t until the reveal of Uche’s passing that the severity of the situation was. Thankfully, she’s had her tight-knit family by her side to cover for her. The power of family was seen asSheinelle shared the video of the segment on her social mediawith the caption, “Thank you, for all of your love and support. ❤️”
As much as fans were eager to learn more,her TODAY family kept mum on the details while offering occasional updateson Sheinelle and her family.One of the first updates came in Aprilthrough Craig Melvin and Al Roker. Melvin said, “We talk to her all the time,” while Roker stated, “We love our girl. It’s been nice to see how much everyone loves her, too. We’re just praying for her.”
Willie Giest, who serves as a frequent fill-in anchor, shared, “She’s dealing with a family matter or private matter, and she is such a valued member of our family.We want to just be there for her and whenever she feels ready to come back and sit with the group, we’ll give her the biggest hug she ever got.” A few weeks later,while attending the Kentucky Derby, Dreyer said, “She’s doing all right. She’s hanging in there. We’re praying for her and her family. You know, she’s just going through a tough time with her family.” Still, mum was the word.
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Uche Ojeh and Sheinelle Jones Are Beloved by the ‘TODAY’ Family
Now, following Uche’s death,Sheinelle has received an outpouring of love from her colleagues at NBC.During the segment on the show, the entire couch was filled with immense emotion. As Savannah Guthrie said, choking back tears, “Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him.” Craig Melvin, for his part, shared that he was close with Uche, playing golf together. Al Roker revealed, “He was a private guy, but he was wickedly funny. He would say things that kind of caught you off-guard, but wasn’t braggadocious or anything. He was a very humble man.”
Her3rd Hour Todayco-host spoke about Sheinelle, saying, “We all know Sheinelle. She’s always smiling. She’s just a bright light whenever she walks into the room, even through this, you know? She relied on her faith. She relied on her friends.” Former TODAY family memberHoda Kotbsharedher heartbreak on social media, simply saying, “Sending all my love.” Kotb, who left the show officially around Sheinelle’s leave, proves how deep the concept of family reaches at the studio.
Having met at Northwestern University, Sheinille Jones and Uche Ojeh were married in 2007.They have three children,Kayin, 15, and twinsClaraandUche, 12.Sheinille Jones joinedTODAYin 2014 as part of theWeekend Todayteam. In 2019, she was invited to join as a co-host on3rd Hour Todayand begin co-anchoring the Saturday edition ofWeekend Today. Through her own personal health complications, including asurgery to remove lesions from her vocal cords, she has remained steadfast and strong. When she does return to her post,she will certainly be welcomed back with open arms from her chosen TV family.
