'Today' Show Co-Host Announces Husband's Death at Age 45
"TODAY" show anchor Sheinelle Jones' husband Uche Ojeh has passed away from cancer, the program announced on-air Friday.
Ojeh, 45, had been battling an "aggressive" brain cancer, "TODAY" co-host Savannah Guthrie revealed this morning.
“With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our friend and TODAY co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,” Guthrie said.
“There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him. And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle’s perfect partner in life.”
In response to the "TODAY" announcement, Jones reposted the video on her personal Instagram account, along with a brief message.
"Thank you, for all of your love and support. ❤️," she wrote in the caption.
Jones, 47, and Ojeh met as students at Northwestern University in the late 1990s. The two were married in 2007 and have three children together.
In January, Jones announced she was taking a leave of absence from "TODAY" due to a "family health matter."
“I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show. I want to share with you that I’m taking time to deal with a family health matter,” Jones wrote on Instagram at the time.
“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.”
Jones has not appeared on "TODAY" since December. Last month, her colleagues said they were "praying" for her and hoped to have her back soon.
"The TODAY family is honoring the life of Uche, a devoted husband, loving father and a man whose bright spirit touched everyone who knew him," wrote TODAY.com's Bryanna Cappadona on Friday.
We would also like to extend our prayers and condolences to Jones and her three children during this difficult time.