Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones first met more than ten years ago inside NBC’s halls, but their connection deepened the moment they discovered a shared rarity: both had grown close to their grandparents well into adulthood.
At a Glance
- The two Today hosts met over a decade ago at NBC
- Both women enjoyed deep grandparent relationships into their 30s and 40s
- Their new hour, Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, launched on January 12, 2026
- Why it matters: Viewers get a friendship forged by shared loss, love, and laughter
That mutual experience became the bedrock of a friendship now heading into its second decade and onto a new shared set. “[Sheinelle] just lost her grandmother, but both of us got to know our grandparents as adults, which is something that’s so unbelievably lucky and not many people get to do,” Bush Hager, 44, told News Of Los Angeles. “My kids have already lost a grandfather. So to get to know your grandparents into your 30s and 40s and have them shape your life in such profound ways – which is something the two of us really share – is remarkable.”
Grandparents Who Shaped Them
Bush Hager’s lineage includes the late former president George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush on her father’s side, and Harold and Jenna Welch on her mother’s. Jones’ grandfather, Dr. Val Brown Sr., died in 2022; her grandmother, Josephine Brown, died on December 31, 2025, seven months after Jones’ husband, Uche Ojeh, also passed.
Jones recalled her grandparents as trailblazers during her recent News Of Los Angeles cover interview. “[Jenna and I] both have feisty grandmothers. Mine was the first woman of color on the school board in my hometown. Her grandmother is as equally beyond feisty, right?” Jones said. “One was president and one was an African American trailblazer, but we could meet each other with our love for our grandparents.”
The same admiration applied to their grandfathers. “I was very, very close to my grandfather. He was one of the first African American doctors in my hometown, and I had a really close relationship with him and he passed several years ago,” Jones shared. “Jenna was one of my first messages and her words were the only words that really gave me comfort because she was so close to her grandfather.”
Shared Roots, Shared Laughter
Beyond family history, the two found everyday parallels. Bush Hager grew up in Texas; Jones spent part of her childhood in Kansas. Their children are similar ages. Both are in long marriages. Those overlapping life stages created an easy rhythm on and off camera.
“Sheinelle also grew up partly in Kansas. I grew up in Texas. Her shared frame of reference is so similar, our kids are similar ages. She was in this beautiful marriage. So, we have all of these things that are in common and this shared perspective,” Bush Hager explained. “And so it’s really fun to sit next to somebody where you can learn from them and grow with them when we’re in similar stages of life.”
The duo even discovered an identical shopping habit forced by their mothers. “We joke about how both of our moms made us buy beige bras at Dillard’s. Like, ‘You too?'” Jones said with a laugh. “So it’s one of those things where I think we have enough differences, but also enough things in common, that it just works. And we look at each other, and we’re safe. If I fall, she’s going to pick me up and vice versa.”
A New Chapter Together
That safety net now extends to their newest professional venture. Today with Jenna & Sheinelle premiered on January 12, 2026, giving the friends a daily platform to share stories, interview guests, and continue the on-air rapport fans have watched develop for years.
Viewers tuning in will see a friendship built on mutual respect and mirrored experiences. Both women understand the ache of losing beloved grandparents and the joy of having had them present for major adult milestones. Both have mothers who insisted on practical undergarments. Both have navigated motherhood and marriage while holding demanding broadcast jobs.
For Bush Hager, the show offers a chance to sit beside someone who understands the weight of family legacy while still carving out an individual path. For Jones, it is an opportunity to bring her trademark warmth to a wider morning audience alongside a friend who offered comfort during some of her darkest days.
Their grandmothers may have been feisty, their grandfathers trailblazers, but the bond between Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones proves that shared stories – even the smallest ones – create the strongest friendships.
