The broadcast journalist’s husband, Uche Ojeh, died in May at 45 after a battle with cancer.

Today cohost Sheinelle Jones grieves new family loss just months after husband’s death

The broadcast journalist's husband, Uche Ojeh, died in May at 45 after a battle with cancer.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 4, 2026 3:32 p.m. ET

Sheinelle Jones on 'Today' in 2024. Credit:

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Sheinelle Jones is mourning another beloved family member, seven months after the tragic death of her husband, Uche Ojeh.

On Jan. 3, the *Today* cohost shared a bittersweet Instagram post, honoring her late grandmother, Josephine Vonceal Pace Brown, whom she described as her "best buddy" and "unapologetic cheerleader." Alongside a carousel of photos, Jones shared that her grandmother died in the early morning of New Year's Eve at the age of 96.

"It is with the heaviest heart that I announce the sudden passing of my grandmother," Jones began her post. "Anyone who knows me, knows that 'Grandmama,' Josephine Vonceal Pace Brown, was my world; my best buddy, my confidante and my unapologetic cheerleader. In time, I’ll share the stories of how her advocacy changed the trajectory of my education, and how she 'lit up' when I told her in 5th grade that I wanted to be a news reporter."

The TV anchor — and host of the newly minted *Today with Jenna & Sheinelle* — went on to explain that her grandmother's belief in her is what ultimately fueled her success.

"Her standard of excellence was extremely high- but I was fueled by her belief in me and constant affirmation when she saw me put in the work," Jones wrote. "What makes our relationship extra special - is the fact that she was so attentive, beyond the backdrop of a highly successful life of her own. Long before I was born, she was the first black woman elected to the board of education… She was also a classically trained pianist, and was the director of the music ministry at my church for as long as I can remember."

Jones additionally referenced her late grandfather, whom he noted was among the first Black doctors in the family's hometown. She added that together, her two grandparents "exemplified what it means to squeeze the most out of life and to give."

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The photos accompanying Jones' words included several sweet family photos, including a shot with Brown smiling beside the TV anchor and her late husband.

"Life is so precious, and I can’t help but to be changed by the last year and a half," Jones concluded her Saturday post. Celebrating her grandmother's life, she added, "Heaven has gained a new choir director, and our family - a new angel."

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Jones, who recently stepped away from the third hour of *Today* to join Jenna Bush Hager as the permanent cohost of the fourth hour, suffered more than one loss in 2025. In May, her husband of 17 years died at 45 after being diagnosed with brain cancer. The couple share three children. **

Uche Ojeh and Sheinelle Jone in 2019.

Bennett Raglin/Getty

Months later, Jones opened up about the loss, telling *Today*'s Savannah Guthrie in a pre-taped interview, "My heart is shattered in a million pieces."

She went on to say that in the wake of their loss, her family has been focusing on finding "beauty in the nightmare."

She continued, "Cancer doesn't have to steal our joy. We can get up, we can get out of bed, and we can go to work, we can go to school, we can squeeze the most out of the days that we have. And honestly, I feel like Uche's heartbeat lives on in mine. So I owe it to him to just squeeze the most I can out of this thing."

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Source: “EW TV”