The Today family is rallying around Sheinelle Jones.
After the daytime talk show star’s husband Uche Ojeh died following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, her cohosts expressed their condolences in an emotional segment.
“There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children,” Savannah Guthrie said on Today May 23. “Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him.”
“Those of us who work alongside Sheinelle every day know her infectious laugh and that brilliant smile that lights up our studio every morning,” she continued, alongside photos of the couple, “a light that would grow even brighter every time she spoke about her husband of 17 years, Uche.”
Guthrie—sitting alongside Jenna Bush Hager, Al Roker, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly and Dylan Dreyer—described Jones’ husband, who died at age 45, as “her perfect match.”
She noted that he was “a man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way.”
On behalf of the entire Today team, Guthrie emphasized that they are sending love to Jones and her family, including their kids Kayin Ojeh, 15, and 12-year-old twins Clara Ojeh and Uche Ojeh.
“We love you,” she added. “You are our family.”
Meanwhile, Melvin, who shared a close bond Ojeh, reflected on his friend’s devotion to his family.
“One thing he always talked about—he talked about those kids,” he said. “He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sidelines at every soccer game. He was at all the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy, and they had such a beautiful love story.”
Roker noted that Ojeh—who married Jones in 2007 after eight years of dating—was “a private guy” but “wickedly funny.”
“He would say things that kind of caught you off guard,” he recalled, “but wasn’t braggadocious or anything. He was a very humble man.”
And Dreyer couldn’t help but praise Jones’ strength while she and her family navigated this devastating battle, explaining, “She’s just a bright light whenever she walks into the room. Even through this, she relied on her faith, she relied on her friends.”
For Daly—whose dad died at age 46 following an unexpected cancer diagnosis when the TRL alum was just 5 years old—the heartbreaking news reminded him of his own childhood.
“You think so much about these young children, your heart goes out to them,” he said, adding that it was his faith that kept him strong amid his grief. “I’ve been praying for years to my father.”
“Here I am, the young kid,” he reflected. “My life has been so fulfilling and I’m so blessed for that.”
Keep reading for a look back on Uche’s life…
(E! News and Today are 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.”
