Navigating grief is never easy, and doing so in the public eye adds an extra layer of complexity. But rather than retreating after the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, in May 2025, Today host Sheinelle Jones chose to lean into honesty.
"If I'm having a tough moment, I have to just say it," Sheinelle, 48, told E! News in an exclusive interview. "When the men and women we admire allow themselves to take the veil down and be honest about a tough day, it's healing in a way I underestimated."
She explained that sharing her experiences has been therapeutic not only for viewers but for herself as well. From sitting down with colleague Savannah Guthrie to discuss Uche's cancer battle to posting emotional milestones on Instagram, Sheinelle has been remarkably candid.
This approach was partly inspired by Kay McConaughey, mother of Matthew McConaughey, who shared wisdom featured in Sheinelle's new book, Through Mom's Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans. "One of the things she holds dear is the power of humor," Sheinelle said. "If I'm having a good time on the show, I allow myself to be present. If I'm having a tough day, I allow myself to have it."
Initially, she didn't see herself as strong. "People kept saying, 'You're so strong,' and I'm just trying to survive," she recalled. "At the beginning, I was just trying to get out of bed. Somebody else sees it as strength, and I'm thinking, 'Am I? Oh, me? I'm strong? Oh, okay.'"
But after releasing her book and co-hosting Today with Jenna & Sheinelle amid her grief, she's ready to own her resilience. "I was so busy celebrating everyone else's strength that maybe not until now am I thinking, 'You know what? Maybe I should celebrate my own.' We don't do that for ourselves, but I'm finally starting to give myself credit."
She aims to model that strength for her children: 16-year-old Kayin and 13-year-old twins Clara and Uche. "If I can get up and go on national television every day and write a book, then you can run for student council, try out for the soccer team, or go for that audition. I want to model resilience, humor, and strength."
She hopes readers find the same comfort in Through Mom's Eyes that she found while writing it. "All the chapters were pouring into me and making me feel better," she said.