Sheinelle Jones is reflecting on her unimaginable loss.
The Today cohost shared how she helped her kids Kayin, 16, and twins Clara and Uche, 13, navigate their grief following the death of her husband Uche Ojeh.
“That’s what makes this harder,” Sheinelle told Savannah Guthrie in a Sept. 5 interview on Today. “There are times where if I could just stay in bed, keep the door closed, not answer my phone and just sit it would be amazing.”
She added, “But I can’t do that, ’cause I have three little beings who are watching me.”
For Sheinelle, going through her own process helped her gain another perspective for her young children.
“Grief is like a wave, and what I’ve told my kids, it’s almost like rain can’t last forever,” she added. “So when the rain comes, in some ways I’ve just learned to look up at the rain and let it be a cleansing rain and let it clear the air. And so I don’t run away from crying anymore. When it comes to grief, I see it as, ‘Here comes my cleansing rain.’ And it’s okay. I don’t fear it anymore. So when it comes now, I’m like, ‘Okay, you can come. We can sit for a little bit.'”
Uche—who would have celebrated 18 years of marriage in September with Sheinelle—died in May, following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. He was 45.
As for how she’s been coping in the months after his death, Sheinelle said it’s about navigating a life she no longer has.
“I’m okay, day to day, I’m okay,” she shared. “From a macro picture how am I doing? My heart is shattered my heart is shattered into a million pieces. The life that I’ve known since I was 19 is no more.”
“We would have been married 18 years this month,” she added. “And it just always felt like we had it. And when he was dying, I would say this sucks, this is scary, but if you asked me if this was going to be my fate, I would do it all over again.”
Sheinelle made her return to Studio 1A alongside cohosts Savannah, Craig Melvin, Al Roker and Jenna Bush Hager Sept. 5.
Amid the news of his death—and her absence—Sheinelle’s Today family shared a video tribute dedicated to Uche, which highlighted their years-long romance.
“They had such a beautiful love story,” Craig, who noted he would golf occasionally with Uche, said at the time. “One thing he always talked about—he talked about those kids. He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud.”
“He was that dad that was on the sideline at every soccer game,” Craig added. “He was at all the concerts, the recitals. He was that guy, and they had such a beautiful love story.”
In May, Sheinelle spoke out to share gratitude for all of the support she received following the loss of Uche.
“Thank you,” she wrote alongside the clip of the Today hosts sharing the news of her husband’s death May 23. “For all of your love and support.”
For more on Sheinelle’s life with Uche, keep reading…
(Today and E! News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Life Partners
Sheinelle Jones often spoke about how she met her husband Uche Ojeh while giving him a tour of campus at Northwestern University when she was just 19.
As Savannah Guthrie noted in Today’s May 23 tribute to the consultant, he was a “remarkable man who was Sheinelle’s perfect partner in life.”
Dedicated to Faith
Throughout his battle with glioblastoma, the Today anchors emphasized that Uche was devoted to his faith as well as his Nigerian heritage. In a post from 2021, Sheinelle shared that all three of their kids dressed in “native Nigerian wear” for their baptism.
That Guy
As the father of kids Kayin, and younger twins Clara and Uche Jr., Uche put his family first.
“He loved those kids more than anything else in this world,” Craig Melvin emphasized in Today’s tribute. “He was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sidelines of every soccer game, all of the concerts, recitals. He was that guy.”
A “Humble Man”
During Today’s broadcast, Al Roker noted that while Uche was quiet, he was “wickedly funny,” adding, “He was a humble man.”
Biggest Supporter
In a birthday tribute to Uche in 2021, Sheinelle emphasized that her late husband was always by her side.
“When I put in his picture and click ‘search’ on my iPhone … pretty much ALL of the pics, are of him by my side,” she explained on Instagram. “And/or helping the kids with homework, music or soccer lessons. I am truly thankful to be on this journey with such a beautiful human being.”
Going the Distance
In the Today segment honoring Uche, Savannah emphasized that Sheinelle and Uche overcame obstacles including long distance to make their romance work. And for Sheinelle, it was all worth it. As she wrote in a tribute post to Uche in 2022, “You caught my eye when I was 19 years old …. and here we are.”
Warriors
Amid their hardest battle together, Savannah emphasized that both Sheinelle and Uche were “warriors.”
As Savannah emphasized, Uche was “a man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way.”
Saying Goodbye
In a post following the segment announcing Uche’s tragic death, Sheinelle wrote, “Thank you, for all of your love and support.”
