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Sheinelle Jones Says Her Heart Is “Shattered” After Husband Uche Ojeh’s Death
Sheinelle Jones’ trip to Oz changed her grieving process for good.
The Today cohost shared how Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s moving performances in Wicked: For Good impacted her following the death of her husband Uche Ojeh.
“You guys both know that I am grieving,” Sheinelle, 47, told the costars in a Today interview Nov. 12. “I carry two things everywhere I go: I move forward, but I’m also grieving. And when I went into the theater to screen this movie, it was transcendent for me in a way that I didn’t know I needed.”
Specifically, seeing Elphaba (Cynthia) and Glinda (Ariana) be “strong, brave and vulnerable” as they confront their personal struggles from the original film inspired Sheinelle to find her own strength. After all, the journalist returned to the NBC morning show in September, four months after Uche died from his battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.
“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘If these women can do this on stage or on the screen, so can I in my own way,’” she explained. “‘I can be strong and courageous and brave. And not just your characters, but who you are as women in real life.’”
But Sheinelle isn’t walking down this emotional path alone. In fact, the journalist also invited her daughter Clara Ojeh, 13, to the sequel’s premiere in London on Nov. 10.
“She was over the rainbow, over the moon,” she told Today cohosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin of her youngest’s reaction to the event. “I’ve never been to a premiere like this. I think it was sensory overload for Clara. It was packed, but it felt like a fairytale. We bought matching rings. Our hearts needed it.”
TODAY's Sheinelle Jones shares with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo how "Wicked" has supported her through her grief. #WickedMovie
♬ original sound - TODAY ShowAnd as Sheinelle and her family—which also includes kids Kayin, 16, and Clara’s twin Uche, 13—continue to navigate their grief, she’s encouraging her little ones to not be scared of expressing their emotions.
“What I’ve told my kids, it’s almost like rain can't last forever,” she told Savannah in a Sept. 5 interview on Today. “So when the rain comes, in some ways, I’ve just learned to look up at the rain and let it clear the air. 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 OK. So when it comes now, I’m like, ‘OK, you can come. We can sit for a little bit.’”
Keep reading to see more heartfelt moments in Sheinelle’s family album…
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.”
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.”
Sheinelle Jones, Instagram
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.”
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.”
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.”
Sheinelle Jones/Instagram
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.”
Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Saying Goodbye
In a post following the segment announcing Uche’s tragic death, Sheinelle wrote, “Thank you, for all of your love and support.”
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