Uche Ojeh, husband of Today show co-host Sheinelle Jones, has sadly died at the age of 45.
The heartbreaking news was announced on air during Friday's broadcast of the Today show, where Savannah Guthrie and other hosts paid tribute to Ojeh while expressing their heartbreak over the loss.
“With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,” Guthrie said through tears. “There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and her three young children. Uche was an incredible person, and we all loved him.”
Craig Melvin described Ojeh as someone who loved his family “more than anything else,” while Al Roker remembered him as a “private guy” who was “wickedly funny” and “humble.”
Guthrie also highlighted Ojeh’s spiritual strength. “Uche had a beautiful, deep, abiding faith every single day of this fight, and you could see it in his eyes,” she said. “He was an extraordinary person… And we love him and we love you, Sheinelle.”
Carson Daly echoed those sentiments, reflecting on the role of faith during grief. “They have such good faith,” he said, sharing how his own belief helped him cope after the death of his father when he was five. “I’ve been praying for years to my father… I say, ‘I know you’re watching over me. I’m okay.’”
Guthrie and Daly both offered comforting messages for their co-host and her children, Kayin, 15, and 12-year-old twins Clara and Uche, acknowledging the challenges young people face when losing a parent.
“You can survive the loss of your father as young people, as we did,” Guthrie said. “And thrive,” added Melvin.
“Listen, Uche has so many friends, college friends, friends from their time in Philadelphia, those friends have surrounded the family during this time,” Guthrie added. “Sheinelle is a warrior, and Uche was a warrior. She has risen to the occasion and then some.”
Following the tribute, Jones posted the clip on her Instagram with a brief message: “Thank you for all of your love and support.”
Jones and Ojeh met at Northwestern University; she was a freshman and he was a high school senior touring the campus.
After dating for eight years, Ojeh proposed during a rainstorm at their alma mater. The couple married in 2007 and built a life together with their three children.
While it's not publicly known when Ojeh was diagnosed or how long he had been battling the illness, sources close to the family said he fought bravely.
Jones, 47, had been absent from the Today show since December 2024, later sharing with fans in January that she was managing 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 also to have you,” she wrote in an earlier Instagram post. “Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
A source told PEOPLE at the time that the situation was “very serious,” and her co-hosts continued to stay in close contact throughout her absence.
“I just talked to her a couple of days ago,” Melvin said in April. “She’s taking some time to be with her family, and we talk to her all the time.” Roker added that they were “praying for her.”
Our thoughts are with Ojeh's loved ones at this heartbreaking time.