Sheinelle Jones has confessed that she “can’t stop crying” during her first birthday without her late husband, Uche Ojeh, by her side.
The TV host celebrated her 48th birthday Sunday with an emotional post on Instagram about her husband of nearly 20 years, who died last year after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Her post included photos with fans during her nationwide book tour to promote her new memoir, Through Mom's Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans.
“As I literally sit here - in tears - on an airplane headed home, I think it’s the perfect moment to check in with you. Today is my 48th birthday, and to be honest- I can’t stop crying,” she wrote. “Thankful tears, painful tears because it’s my first without Uche, and tears full of gratitude reflecting on the last 7 days. I have never felt so much love in my life. Thank you for the prayers and support over the last year.”
“I don’t have the words to express how it feels to have SOLD OUT crowds in every city … and what it feels like to take these group photos with your smiling faces,” she continued. “Uche loved The Beatles; as I mark the beginning of ‘48’ - I do .. feel the sun. Thank you so so much.”
Along with moments from the book tour, Jones’s Instagram post included a video of her blowing out her gold candles on a huge pink birthday cake.
During Friday’s pre-taped episode of Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Jones talked about turning 48 and reflected on her last birthday, which was only a month before her husband died.
“When I turned 47, it was a tough day on my 47th birthday and I just couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “So for 48 to be so wonderful and to be here with you and you guys, just lets you know that if you’re in something, just know that there is light.”
Ojeh died in May 2025 at age 45, with the news being announced on Today by Jones’ co-hosts. Ojeh and Jones were married for 18 years and share three children: son Kayin, 16, and fraternal twins Clara and Uche, 13.
Jones made an emotional return to Today in September after a nine-month hiatus and gave a “deeply personal interview.” She opened up about navigating the devastating loss of Ojeh and why she described the situation as a “beautiful nightmare.”
“I hope that just by me being on the set and me returning to work, it’s like, ‘OK, if I can do it, so can you, right?’” she said.
“So don’t get me wrong, my heart still hurts. So if you see me now and you see me laughing, or you turn on the morning show and I’m laughing or having a good time, you root for me... because I’m fighting for my joy.”
Jones also revealed that she continued to work at Today for almost a year after her husband’s diagnosis, often going straight from set to Ojeh’s chemotherapy sessions.
“And I got to that place where I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, so when I decided to take a leave [from Today], that was why — because I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring,” she said.
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