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"There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person," Savannah Guthrie said on Friday's episode of "Today," as the show announced the news and shared an emotional tribute.
The cast of the Today show is mourning the loss of co-host Sheinelle Jones' husband, Uche Ojeh.
On Friday's episode of the NBC morning show, Savannah Guthrie announced the heartbreaking news that Ojeh had died at 45 following a battle with brain cancer.
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View Story"With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dear friend and Today cohost Sheinelle Jones has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma," Guthrie said, appearing to get choked up.
"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," she continued. "And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle's perfect partner in life."
Jones and Ojeh were married for 17 years, tying the knot in 2007 after meeting as teenagers while attending Northwestern University in the 1990s. The couple shared son Kayin, 15, and twins Clara and Uche, 12.
During an emotional tribute, Guthrie described Ojeh as Jones' "perfect match," and a "man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way."
"Uche was the kind of person who brought light, warmth, and joy to every room," Guthrie added at another point. "Today, with heavy hearts, we celebrate his life, devoted husband, loving father, and a man whose generosity of spirit touched all who knew him."
Following the tribute, Today co-host Craig Melvin -- whom Guthrie noted was "really good friends" with Ojegh -- recalled the last time they played golf together last fall.
"We had a number of conversations about just life in general," Melvin said. "One thing he always talked about -- he talked about those kids. He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sideline at every soccer game. He was at all the concerts, the recitals. He was that guy."
"And they had such a beautiful love story," Guthrie added.
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Jones shared a video of the show's tribute on her Instagram on Friday, above. Alongside the clip, she wrote, "Thank you, for all of your love and support. ❤️"
Friends and fans alike sent supportive messages and their condolences in the comments section.
Jones has not appeared on Today since December 2024. She addressed her absence the following month in a statement on Instagram.
"Hi everybody … I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show," Jones wrote. "I want to share with you that I’m taking time to deal with a family health matter."
"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," she added. "Your kindness means so much to me. I'll see you soon."
