Sheinelle Jones made a triumphant comeback to the Today show after a nine-month break, discussing the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, who died earlier this year from glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer.
The 47-year-old Jones discussed how she has been handling the loss in the pre-recorded interview with co-host Savannah Guthrie that aired on September 5.
What did Sheinelle Jones share in the episode?
“My heart is shattered in a million pieces,” Jones confessed, her voice breaking as she reflected on the life she once knew. “The life that I’ve known since I was 19 is no more. I’ve always wanted kids, and I have three now, and they’ve lost their dad. And I’m their mom. It sucks.”
She went on to describe her grief as “a beautiful nightmare,” a phrase that captured the intense pain she has felt while also finding moments of love and beauty during the darkest of times.
Ojeh, 45, passed away after a brave fight with glioblastoma, a cancer that typically gives patients a grim prognosis of only 12 to 18 months to live, with just 5 percent surviving beyond five years.
News of his death was made public by Jones’ Today cohosts on May 23.
Though Jones had kept her husband’s battle with cancer private, she revealed to Guthrie that during his final days, she cherished every moment with him. “We would just hold hands, and the nurses would come in and call us the ‘love birds,’” she recalled softly.
“We’d look at each other and say, ‘I love you.’ That’s what I mean by ‘beautiful nightmare.’ I found beauty in the nightmare.”
Jones also shared that she had been aware of her husband’s diagnosis for nearly a year before stepping away from the show.
Despite the intense strain of balancing her career with caring for Ojeh during his chemotherapy, Jones reassured her viewers that the joy they saw on-screen was never fabricated.
“I thought, ‘I’m not faking it. My joy is real,’” she explained. “I was on television for almost a year with this… I would do the show, then hop in the car and go be with him. I believed that he was going to be okay.”
‘What a woman’
Netizens posted their excitement to see her back on the show. A user noted, “Today’s entire segment about Sheinelle’s return deserves an Emmy. It was absolutely beautiful.”
Another claimed, “the interview with Sheinelle Jones this morning on Today had me in tears. what a beautiful woman.. what strong woman.. what an incredible human being.. im lifting her and her kids up in prayer.”
“Sheinelle, my heart is with you. Your strength in the face of such unimaginable loss is deeply moving. Returning to Studio 1A will be a powerful moment, not just for you but for everyone who admires your light. Wishing you peace, love, and gentle healing as you step back into a place that has missed you so much,” noted a user.
“I think just about everyone is happy to see her return. I had a gut feeling that she would come back once the kids went back to school. It’s awesome that she was able to take the needed time off. More companies should offer this,” added a netizen.