HEARTBREAKING: Today’s Sheinelle Jones shares SH0CKING TRUTH about her Late Husband that People Never Knew

Sheinelle Jones isn’t afraid to broadcast her love for her husband, Uche Ojeh.

While her social media often features pictures and videos from her work on the Today show, she also uses her platform to publicly praise her husband, who has been by her side for years.

In the late ’90s, Jones and Ojeh crossed paths during a chance encounter at Northwestern University. After dating for eight years, he proposed on the campus of their alma mater in the middle of a rainstorm, catching her by surprise. Since then, Jones and Ojeh married in 2007 and welcomed three children: son Kayin and fraternal twins Clara and Uche.

Over the years, Jones has opened up about her marriage to Ojeh on Today and the ways they continue to work on their connection. Most recently, Jones stepped away from the news desk, last appearing on air in mid-December, and she addressed her absence on the morning news show in an Instagram post on Jan. 15.

“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,” she wrote. “It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to have not on 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.”

Though Jones didn’t share specific details about her “family health matter,” a source told PEOPLE the situation is “serious.” According to the insider, it doesn’t concern Jones or her children.

So who is Sheinelle Jones’ husband? Here’s everything to know about Uche Ojeh and his relationship with the broadcast journalist.

He met Jones at Northwestern University

Jones and Ojeh first crossed paths at Northwestern University in the late ’90s.

In an interview for the campus magazine’s winter 2024 edition, Jones explained that she met Ojeh when she was a freshman in college, and he was still a high school senior visiting the university.

“I was a fake tour guide … I was just walking to class,” she said. “[I was like, ‘Are you guys lost?’ And] I told him I would take him around because he was cute.”

Jones enrolled in Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism in the fall of 1996. The following year, Ojeh began attending the school, and the couple graduated a year apart.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Ojeh earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science with an economics concentration in 2001.

Afterward, he worked as a consultant for IBM and Accenture. As of 2024, he is a managing partner at UAO Consulting, a role he has held since 2008.

He and Jones wed in 2007

Jones and Ojeh married on Sept. 2, 2007, in her hometown of Philadelphia.

A few days before celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, the Today co-anchor opened up about how Ojeh proposed to her after dating long distance for 8 years.

“I thought I knew when it was coming, twice, and it didn’t happen,” she admitted during a Today show segment, noting that he once surprised her with a piece of Tiffany’s jewelry, which she assumed was an engagement ring, and the second time was during a trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Finally, Ojeh popped the question during a visit back to where their love story began — Northwestern University’s campus. It was a rainy day, but Ojeh convinced Jones to take a minute outside at a special spot near the lake, where he got on one knee and asked her to marry him.

Over the years, she has paid tribute to their union on social media. “Happy Anniversary Uche. ❤️ – It’s amazing how life works sometimes … We’ve created beautiful memories,” she captioned photos of their special day on Instagram in September 2023.

He and Jones share three kids

The couple welcomed their first child, son Kayin, in August 2009. They expanded their family with fraternal twins Clara and Uche in July 2012.

In the following years, Jones shared what it was like adjusting from having one child to three. In an essay written on the Today website, she revealed that she tried to foster a sense of belonging.

“With all three of my children, I try to show them that they’re ALL a team, and they have to take care of each other,” she wrote in June 2015. “At the same time, I’m learning that they each like to know they’re special on their own. They will often come to me for individual affirmation and then head back into the ‘group’ ready to play as a team.”

During a Mother’s Day celebration segment on Today, Jones opened up about raising her three kids and the type of mom she aspires to be.

“I want to be the mom that I can look back at, I want to be proud of how I mommed,” she said in May 2024. “It’s not necessarily the win that we’re eating at 8:30, 9:00 at night for dinner some nights. But you know what? We’re at the table.”

He is Nigerian

Jones spoke about Ojeh’s background in December 2022 when she expressed excitement over her children enjoying wearing the traditional clothing from his home country.

“I think it is important to my husband that my kids are brought up knowing his side and his culture,” she explained. “So, I actually am happy that every year — and even more than every year, whenever we get together — they get new native wear because as they continue to grow, they continue to get new outfits.”

He is a triathlete

In October 2023, Ojeh completed a triathlon, and Jones didn’t miss the opportunity to honor the momentous occasion.

“I think it’s so important to celebrate the wins of the people you love— this weekend it was all about ‘The Uche’s,’ ” she wrote, referring to her husband and son with the same name.

Jones continued, “My youngest son’s soccer team took first in their tournament… meanwhile dad, AKA , big Uche – conquered a triathlon. It’s something he’s always wanted to do … and he trained really hard for it.”

“I’ve watched both of them – day in and day out … running and kicking balls all over the place. 😉 It all paid off. – The rest of us in the house, (me, Kayin & Clara) are super proud of them. Love you guys ❤️,” she concluded.