TODAY show host Sheinelle Jones is mourning the loss of her husband, Uche Ojeh, who has sadly passed away at the age of 45 after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Sheinelle had quietly taken a step back from the show back in December 2024, explaining at the time that she was dealing with a “family health matter.” Here’s what we know about her.
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Who is Sheinelle Jones?
Sheinelle Jones is a familiar face to many as a journalist and co-host of the third hour of NBC’s TODAY show.
She’s also the host of Wild Child, part of NBC’s Saturday morning educational lineup, The More You Know.
Born on April 19, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sheinelle is the daughter of US District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones II.
Though she was born in Philly, she spent part of her upbringing in Wichita, Kansas, where she attended Wichita Brooks Middle Magnet School and Wichita Heights High School.
Most read about Sheinelle
She later studied at Northwestern University in Illinois, where she joined the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The 47-year-old met her future husband, Uche Ojeh, at Northwestern, and they later married in 2007.
Sheinelle then got her start in broadcast journalism in Springfield, Illinois, at WICS.
Her career then took her to KOKI-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and later to WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, where she stayed for more than nine years before making the jump to NBC News.
She joined Weekend TODAY in 2014 and became a co-host of the 3rd hour of TODAY in 2019.
However, Sheinelle had quietly stepped away from the show in December 2024 to be with her family during this incredibly difficult time.
In January 2025, she announced her decision to step away from work after fans became worried about her absence.
“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,” she told concerned fans in January.
“It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to have not on the support of my Today show family, but to also have all of you.
“Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
She also delayed the release of her book Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans from April to October of this year.
A source told People at the time that the “serious” health issue did not concern Sheinelle or her kids.
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Tragically, on May 23, 2025, it was announced on TODAY that Uche had passed away following a battle with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
“With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our friend and Today co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,” co-host Savannah Guthrie announced through tears.
“Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him.
They celebrated each other’s victories, big and small.
Savannah Guthrie on Sheinelle and her husband
“And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle’s perfect partner in life.”
The anchors revealed the secret health battle Sheinelle’s husband of 17 years had been facing in recent months, and how the couple got through it with their strength and faith in God.
Savannah shared, “Sheinelle was so strong through all of this, as was Uche. Very, very strong.”
The stars then shared a heartfelt photo montage of the couple, and recapped Sheinelle and Uche’s incredible love story.
“Two years ago, when Sheinelle completed her first marathon, Uche was there at the finish line, his pride evident with his beaming smile,” Savannah said.
“They celebrated each other’s victories, big and small.”
The broadcaster has previously spoken about how the couple initially met.
She said: “I was a fake tour guide. I was just walking to class,” she said in 2024. “I was like, ‘Are you guys lost?’ And I told him I would take him around because he was cute.”
The couple remained rock solid through the years, and she gushed over their marriage on his 43rd birthday in February 2023.
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“To think it all started right here at Northwestern 25 years ago. Then marriage a decade later,” she wrote on Instagram. “Then baby #1, then #2 & #3, moving to NYC, and 10,000 games, music and dance lessons later…We’re just getting started.”
Back in February, The U.S. Sun reported that Sheinelle was planning a return to TODAY following her time away to care for her husband during his illness.
According to the report, she is set to step into a new role, replacing Hoda Kotb as Jenna Bush Hager’s co-host during the show’s fourth hour.
How many children did Sheinelle Jones have with her late husband Uche Ojeh?
The TODAY show host is a mother to three kids with her husband.
The couple welcomed their first son, Kayin, two years later in August 2009.
Twins Clara and Uche joined the family in July 2012.
Sheinelle has always juggled a demanding schedule with being a hands-on mom, often waking up at 5 am. to get her day started.
Even with the early mornings and a packed calendar, she’s shared how important it is for her to be present for her children.
“When it’s earlier, they’re still sleeping. I try not to do interviews after 3, so I can pick my kids up at school,” she told The Miami Moms.
“Earlier in my career I felt like I was losing touch with the kids because I was doing interviews before or after school. And once you have those boundaries, everyone knows.”
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She’s intentional about giving her full attention to her family when she’s off the clock.
“When I’m with my kids, I want them to know I’m with them,” she said. “If I’m at a [kid’s sports] game or a show for my daughter, I try to be all in.”
Her oldest, Kayin, has always shown a love for learning.
In June 2024, Sheinelle celebrated his 8th grade graduation on Instagram, remembering how eager he was to learn even in Pre-K, writing that he was “ready to soak up everything they could teach you.”
It seems Kayin may be following in his mom’s footsteps.
In 2021, he interviewed Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: Kids Edition.
Sheinelle later opened up about how nervous she was for him.
“I was so nervous, I do this all the time but to set it up for him … and he really practiced,” she shared on TODAY.
“I said, ‘Ok Kayin, when he says an answer, you may have to have a follow-up question.’”
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In 2024, Kayin gave a speech at his middle school graduation, a proud moment for Sheinelle.
“When you stepped up to the podium with that smile, my heart was filled with so much gratitude for the young man that you are, and the man you are becoming,” she wrote alongside a photo montage.
“Love you Kayin! – 8th grade! I can’t believe it’s time for high school!”
Later that year, he accompanied his mom to the White House, where they met President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Reflecting on the visit, Sheinelle called it a moment that “transcended politics.”
She shared, “I got emotional as the president kindly complimented his attire and then said these words to him with the most sincere eyes – ‘Son, I want to tell you the most important thing. Remember I told you this: always, take care of your mother.’”
Kayin replied, “I will. Yes sir.”
Sheinelle and her late husband welcomed fraternal twins, Clara and Uche, on July 10, 2012, at the same Philadelphia hospital where she and Kayin were born.
When the twins were toddlers, Sheinelle wrote a heartfelt essay for TODAY about the challenges of raising two young children at once.
“I wish I had known earlier how important it is to learn who they are as individuals and feed their own particular needs, while also teaching them that they are a team,” she shared.
Now older, Clara and Uche are coming into their own but still enjoy shared experiences.
In 2023, they took part in the US Open as ball kids, making it a family moment to remember.
For Clara’s 12th birthday in 2024, she and her mom shared a girls’ day out while Kayin and Uche were away at summer camp.
It was her first birthday without her twin, and to make it extra special, Sheinelle took her to get her ears pierced.
She joked that back in her own childhood, she “had to get ‘all A’s’ first” to do the same. “Such a fun and memorable day,” she wrote alongside a video of Clara smiling with her new earrings.
Content shared from www.the-sun.com.