Uche Ojeh, the husband of "Today" show co-anchor Sheinelle Jones, has died at the age of 45, the NBC morning show announced during its broadcast on Friday. "With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our friend and Today co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma," Savannah Guthrie said.
"There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person," Guthrie, 53, continued. "We all loved him. And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle's perfect partner in life," she further added.
Gone Too Soon
Uche Ojeh , whose full name is Uchechukwuka Adenola Ojeh, spent his final days in hospice care and showed great courage during his battle, according to sources. He and Sheinelle Jones got married in 2007 and are parents to three children — Kayin, 14, and 12-year-old twins, Clara and Uche.
Glioblastoma is a form of cancer that begins in the brain or spinal cord and progresses rapidly, according to the Mayo Clinic. While there is no known cure, it can be treated with options such as radiation and chemotherapy to help manage the disease.
On Friday, Sheinelle shared the heartbreaking announcement clip on her Instagram account. "Thank you, for all of your love and support," she wrote in the caption.
In mid-January, Jones, 46, announced that she would be taking a long break from the third hour of the "Today" show to attend to a personal family issue. "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."
Jones Devastated
At the time, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin also spoke about Sheinelle's absence during the show. "We want to share some news about our friend Sheinelle," Savannah said.
"She posted to Instagram this morning, letting everyone know she has been taking time off to deal with a personal family health matter.
"She thanked everyone for their kindness and concern about her. So many of you have been asking about Sheinelle and missing her, and he we miss her, too."
Craig, 45, added: "Sheinelle, we all love you and we are so looking forward to having you back."
The two first met in the late 1990s while attending Northwestern University. Jones was a college freshman at the time, and Ojeh was a high school senior visiting the campus. "I was a fake tour guide... I was just walking to class," Jones told the University's magazine, while speaking to them for the Winter 2024 issue.
"I was like, "Are you guys lost?" And I told him I would take him around because he was cute."
