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“Today” show co-anchor Sheinelle Jones’ husband, Uche Ojeh, has died, the NBC program announced on-air Friday. He was 45.
Ojeh died after a long cancer battle. He remained in hospice before his passing and put up a “brave fight,” multiple sources tell The Post.
The couple tied the knot in 2007 and share three kids together 14-year-old Kayin, and 12-year-old twins Clara and Uche.
In mid-January, Jones, 46, revealed she would be stepping back from the third hour of “Today” for an extended time due to a family matter.
“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,” the reporter wrote on Instagram.
“It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to have not only the support of my ‘Today’ show family, but to also have all of you.”
Jones added, “Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
At the time, a source told People that the situation was “serious.”
Although the insider made it clear the circumstances didn’t involve their kids, the source expressed that Jones was grateful for those who rallied behind her.
“Sheinelle appreciates the support she’s received from fans and viewers in her absence,” they said. “She’s especially grateful for her tight-knit ‘Today’ show family and co-hosts, for all their love during a sensitive time.”
Jones and Ojeh’s love story began in the late ’90s, when the pair met while studying at Northwestern University. After dating for eight years, Ojeh proposed at their alma mater. The triathlete popped the question during a rainstorm, much to Jones’ surprise.
“I thought I knew when it was coming, twice, and it didn’t happen,” she admitted during a 2018 “Today” show segment.
Jones explained that Ojeh once surprised her with a piece of Tiffany’s jewelry, which she assumed was an engagement ring. And the second time she thought she was getting proposed to during a trip to Cancun, Mexico.
Jones admitted she had a sneaky way to find out who the hunk on campus was.
“I was a fake tour guide … I was just walking to class,” the host confessed during an interview with Northwestern’s campus magazine in 2024. “[I was like, ‘Are you guys lost?’ And] I told him I would take him around because he was cute.”
Throughout their union, Jones made it clear she wanted their children to grow up with a rich history about both their backgrounds, including Ojeh being Nigerian.
“I think it is important to my husband that my kids are brought up knowing his side and his culture,” she mused while on the morning talk show in 2022. “So, I actually am happy that every year — and even more than every year, whenever we get together — they get new native wear because as they continue to grow, they continue to get new outfits.”
In September 2023, the television personality took to Instagram to gush over her partner a year and a half before his death.
“Happy Anniversary Uche – it’s amazing how life works sometimes … ” Jones penned. “I was born in Philly … moved away as a baby … visited my father every summer after my parents separated … but I never imagined I’d end up having some of the best years of my life and career there, getting married in Philly, and ultimately having 3 kids at the same hospital where I was born. We’ve created beautiful memories…. here’s to a lifetime more. 16 years!”
In April, Jones’ colleagues addressed her prolonged absence on the network.
“I just talked to her a couple days ago,” Calvin Melvin told Access Hollywood. “She’s taking some time to be with her family and we talk to her all the time.”
“We love our girl,” Melvin, 45, continued. “It’s been nice to see how much everyone else loves her, too.”
Al Roker chimed in: “We’re just praying for her.”
Dylan Dreyer also confirmed that Jones “misses being” on the show.
“She wishes she was here with us, but she’s doing what she needs to do,” Dreyer, 43, said. “She’ll be back.”
English (US)