Sheinelle Jones is speaking out about surviving through grief after her husband, Uche Ojeh, died in May at age 45 after fighting brain cancer.
The TODAY 3rd Hour co-host, age 47, interviewed with Savannah Guthrie on Sept. 5 for the first time since his death. During the tearful sit-down, she characterized her 17-year-old husband’s death as a “beautiful nightmare,” remembering moments both shattering and sacred.
Sheinelle reminisced about their first days as college students at Northwestern University, telling of how they sat in silence in her dorm room envisioning the future. Years later, she was having a similar experience, hand-in-hand with Ojeh in his hospital bed, looking out at the New York City skyline. “It felt scary. It felt divine. It felt bigger than us,” she said. “But at the end of the day, when we closed the door and we were alone, that was always when we were best.”
The three children they have together, son Kayin, 16, and 13-year-old twins Uche and Clara, hugged their parents tightly on Thanksgiving. The couple relied on their faith during Ojeh’s illness. Sheinelle acknowledged her own faith was being tried, wondering how something so painful could occur following years of prayers and devotion. But she said her husband’s strong faith encouraged her.
Balancing her own life and career, Sheinelle kept on working for almost a year at TODAY while quietly caring for Ojeh during chemotherapy. She would report directly from the studio to the hospital, keeping her signature cheerful demeanor on air. Later, she took a leave of absence in January to stay with him on a full-time basis, citing that she did not want to miss out on the last precious moments they shared.
With tears, she remembered sharing a connection with him in his last days: “If you ask me if this was going to be my fate, I would do it all over again.”
The pair would have celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary on Sept. 1. Now back on TODAY, Sheinelle hopes her honesty will provide solace to others who are dealing with loss. “We don’t get over, but we move forward with our loved ones,” she said. “If I can do it, so can you.”
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
