Uche Ojeh , the husband of NBC ’s ‘Today’ co-host Sheinelle Jones , has died at the age of 45 after a fight against brain cancer .
The news was shared on Friday during the live broadcast of the show by Jones ’ co-hosts.
Ojeh's full name was Uchechukwuka Adenola Ojeh. He was married to Jones for 18 years. Together, they raised three children: their eldest son, Kayin, 15, and 12-year-old fraternal twins Clara and Uche.
Speaking about the loss, co-host Savannah Guthrie said, “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.”
Another co-host, Craig Melvin, who was a close friend of Ojeh, added, “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 of every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”
Sheinelle Jones has been away from the ‘Today’ show since mid-December, citing a “family health matter” in an Instagram post earlier this year. “I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show,” she wrote. “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.”
Though Jones did not specify the details of the health matter, a source told PEOPLE that the situation was “serious” but did not concern Jones or their children directly.
Uche Ojeh's story
Ojeh’s story began at Northwestern University , where he first met Jones in the late 1990s. At the time, Jones was a freshman, and Ojeh was a visiting high school senior. She offered to show him around campus, sparking a connection that lasted nearly three decades.
He graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, specialising in economics. Professionally, he worked as a managing partner at UAO Consulting since 2008 and had earlier consulted for IBM and Accenture.
After eight years of a long-distance relationship, Ojeh proposed to Jones at their alma mater during a rainstorm. The couple married in September 2007 in Philadelphia, Jones’ hometown. Their family grew with the arrival of Kayin in 2009, followed by twins Clara and Uche in 2012.
Jones also reflected on their journey together in a 2023 birthday post for Ojeh, writing, “Happy birthday Uche. To think it all started right here at Northwestern… 25 years ago. Then marriage a decade later. Then baby #1, then #2 & #3, moving to NYC, and 10,000 games, music and dance lessons later … We’re just getting started.”
Friday’s broadcast of Today included a video tribute to Ojeh. Guthrie described him as “her perfect match; a man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way.”
She added, “Uche was the kind of person who brought life, warm and joy to every room. Family, friends, and his deep and abiding faith were always his true north. He was an enthusiastic soccer player, sang in his church choir and was devoted to his Nigerian heritage, instilling in their children a deep connection to his cultural roots.”
The ‘Today’ family closed the tribute by saying, “Today with heavy hearts we celebrate his life. Devoted husband, loving father and a man whose generosity of spirit touched all who knew him.”
The news was shared on Friday during the live broadcast of the show by Jones ’ co-hosts.
Ojeh's full name was Uchechukwuka Adenola Ojeh. He was married to Jones for 18 years. Together, they raised three children: their eldest son, Kayin, 15, and 12-year-old fraternal twins Clara and Uche.
Speaking about the loss, co-host Savannah Guthrie said, “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.”
Another co-host, Craig Melvin, who was a close friend of Ojeh, added, “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 of every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”
Sheinelle Jones has been away from the ‘Today’ show since mid-December, citing a “family health matter” in an Instagram post earlier this year. “I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show,” she wrote. “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.”
Though Jones did not specify the details of the health matter, a source told PEOPLE that the situation was “serious” but did not concern Jones or their children directly.
Uche Ojeh's story
Ojeh’s story began at Northwestern University , where he first met Jones in the late 1990s. At the time, Jones was a freshman, and Ojeh was a visiting high school senior. She offered to show him around campus, sparking a connection that lasted nearly three decades.
He graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, specialising in economics. Professionally, he worked as a managing partner at UAO Consulting since 2008 and had earlier consulted for IBM and Accenture.
After eight years of a long-distance relationship, Ojeh proposed to Jones at their alma mater during a rainstorm. The couple married in September 2007 in Philadelphia, Jones’ hometown. Their family grew with the arrival of Kayin in 2009, followed by twins Clara and Uche in 2012.
Jones also reflected on their journey together in a 2023 birthday post for Ojeh, writing, “Happy birthday Uche. To think it all started right here at Northwestern… 25 years ago. Then marriage a decade later. Then baby #1, then #2 & #3, moving to NYC, and 10,000 games, music and dance lessons later … We’re just getting started.”
Friday’s broadcast of Today included a video tribute to Ojeh. Guthrie described him as “her perfect match; a man whose joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way.”
She added, “Uche was the kind of person who brought life, warm and joy to every room. Family, friends, and his deep and abiding faith were always his true north. He was an enthusiastic soccer player, sang in his church choir and was devoted to his Nigerian heritage, instilling in their children a deep connection to his cultural roots.”
The ‘Today’ family closed the tribute by saying, “Today with heavy hearts we celebrate his life. Devoted husband, loving father and a man whose generosity of spirit touched all who knew him.”
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