Sheinelle Joneshas been missing fromTodaysince Dec. 18—and viewers of the popular morning show finally learned the reason for her extended absence. On Friday, May 23,Savannah Guthrieannounced that Jones' husband,Uche Ojeh, 45, died after a battle with brain cancer. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 "With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dearest friend andTodayco-host, Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer calledglioblastoma," Guthrie shared. She continued, "There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him." During the broadcast,Todayplayed a touching tribute to Ojeh by detailing his and Jones' love story. Guthrie called him Jones' "perfect match—a man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way." Jones, 47, and Ojeh met at Northwestern University and dated for eight years before marrying in 2007. They share a son,Kayin, 15, and twins, sonUcheand daughterClara, 12. "Uche was the kind of person who brought light, warmth and joy to every room," Guthrie concluded. "Today, with heavy hearts, we celebrate his life—devoted husband, loving father and a man whose generosity and spirit touched all who knew him." View this post on Instagram A post shared by TODAY (@todayshow) In theInstagramcomments of a clip of the heartbreaking announcement,Todayviewers showered Jones and her family with support and condolences. One fan shared, "Keeping you so close to our hearts & lifting your family up in prayer@sheinelle_o— all the love in the world for you ❤️." Another wrote, "A beautiful life; praying for this precious family." Someone else commented, "So very sorry for her loss. What a wonderful group of co workers and friends she has. You all never said anything and gave her the privacy that her family needed. Praying for her and her children. Wish I could do something ❤️." Meanwhile, yet another Instagram user echoed, "Oh my goodness this is heartbreaking 💔 news. Sending my deepest condolences and prayers to the family and friends." On Jan. 15,Jones broke her silence about the hiatusafter she had been missing fromTodayfor nearly a month. "I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I've been absent from the show," shewrote 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. Your kindness means so much to me." In April,Todayco-hostsAl Roker,Craig MelvinandDylan Dreyerdirectly addressed Jones' continued absence from the third hour of the NBC morning show. "I just talked to her a couple days ago. As you know, she's taking some time to be with her family and we talk to her all the time," Melvin toldAccess Hollywoodin an April 12 interview. "We love our girl. It's been nice to see how much everyone else loves her, too." "We're just praying for her," Roker added. Dreyer explained, "She misses being here. She wishes she was here with us but she's doing what she needs to do. And she'll be back." Next:Craig Melvin Announces Major Career Switch-Up 5 Months AfterTodayPromotion Sheinelle Jones Suffers Devastating Family Loss as 'Today' Absence Finally Explainedfirst appeared on Parade on May 23, 2025
