Sheinelle Jones has been through huge ups and downs in the last few years. She was promoted to co-host of the Today Show‘s fourth hour earlier this year. However, the moment was bittersweet after suffering heartbreaking losses in a short amount of time. Keep reading for all the details on the devastating losses.
Sheinelle Jones Opens Up About Heartbreaking Losses
Sheinelle Jones has been a constant face on the Today Show for years. However, she disappeared from the screen in December 2024 after receiving devastating news. Her husband of 17 years, Uche Ojeh, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Sheinelle Jones took a leave of absence from the morning program to be at her husband’s side. He passed away a few months later. They had been together since college and shared three children.
The Today host put her life on hold during her husband’s battle with cancer. She pushed back the release of the book Through Mom’s Eyes, a collection of stories from and about the moms of famous celebrities. However, the talk show host didn’t shelve the book entirely. It was finally released earlier this month, her last gift to her late husband.
A few months after her husband’s death, her family suffered another huge loss. Her grandmother passed away in December 2025. Sheinelle Jones opened up to PEOPLE magazine about the losses during an event in New York City for her book. The death of her “grandmama” hit the family hard, especially for Sheinelle Jones’ mother, Sheila.
“Both of us are holding each other up,” the Today host said about dealing with the back-to-back losses. She added that her grandmother would have been “over the moon” about the book release. Her mother was in attendance at the event. Several of her Today co-hosts came out to show their support, too.
Which Today Show Host Has Read Her Book The Most
Sheinelle Jones had a lot of support during her husband’s illness and death. She returned the favor when Savannah Guthrie’s mother went missing in late January. All of the Today hosts rallied around Savannah, but only two showed up for Sheinelle Jones’ book event.
Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb attended the book launch party at The Double Knot on Wednesday, April 15. Sheinelle Jones revealed which of her co-hosts read the book the most.
“The only other person who may rival my mom in the amount of books that she reads is Jenna Bush Hager. I feel like they’re neck and neck,” she said about her Jenna & Sheinelle co-host. It makes sense. Jenna Bush Hager is a huge reader and hosts a monthly book club on the show. She even launched her own book publishing imprint last year.
Sheinelle Jones’ husband and grandmother were there in spirit. Pick up Through Mom’s Eyes at your local bookstore.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger