Uche Ojeh, the husband of “Today” co-host Sheinelle Jones, has died following a s battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 45.
The sad news was shared by Jones’ “Today” family—Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly, Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush Hager—during the broadcast on Friday, May 23.
“With profound sadness,” Savannah Guthrie told viewers, “our friend and the husband of our dear colleague has passed away after a courageous battle with glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer.”
Guthrie added, “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… We just want to say Sheinelle, Kayin, Uche and Clara and the Ojeh family: we are with you, we love you. You are our family and we’re just sending all of our love to you right now.”
The show aired a moving tribute to Ojeh, filled with photos and memories from his life—including the moment he met Jones back in the ’90s at Northwestern University, and their 2007 wedding in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Together, they built a life, raising three children: 15-year-old Kayin, and 12-year-old twins Clara and Uche. For nearly two decades, Ojeh, whose full name was Uchechukwuka Adenola Ojeh, worked as managing partner at UAO Consulting.
Melvin, a close friend of Ojeh’s, reflected on what made him special. “He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud,” Melvin shared. “He was that dad that was on the sideline of every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”
Jones posted part of the tribute segment on Instagram, keeping her message simple but heartfelt: “Thank you for all of your love and support,” she wrote, adding a red heart emoji.
The 47-year-old journalist has been away from Today since December. In January, she addressed her absence on Instagram, writing, “I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show. 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. I’ll see you soon.”