At a Glance
- Sheinelle Jones has mailed 1,200 thank-you notes to viewers who wrote after her husband Uche Ojeh died of brain cancer at 45
- The Today with Jenna & Sheinelle co-host, 47, returned to TV on January 12 after announcing her new permanent role on December 9
- Jones reads letters daily and meets widows and cancer patients who wait outside the plaza
- Why it matters: Her open grief response shows how a public figure can convert private loss into communal support
Sheinelle Jones is answering every condolence letter. After losing her husband Uche Ojeh to brain cancer in May, the Today co-host has already written 1,200 thank-you notes to fans who reached out, Sophia A. Reynolds reports for News Of Los Angeles.
A Daily Ritual of Gratitude
Jones, 47, told News Of Los Angeles she refuses to let the mail pile up.
“People are writing letters, and I read them a little bit every day, and I send thank-you notes to everyone,” she said in this week’s cover story. “I’ve sent out 1,200 thank-you notes already because I feel like if people are going to pour into me and share their stories, then I can try to let them know that I receive it. I see you.”
The notes aren’t short cards, she explained. Fans detail their own losses, memories, and lessons on grief, giving her a window into how many others navigate similar pain.
Back on Set, Carried by Support
Jones stepped back on the Today plaza in September, just four months after Ojeh’s death. On December 9, NBC announced she would become Jenna Bush Hager’s permanent co-host. The renamed Today with Jenna & Sheinelle premiered January 12.
Returning to a highly visible job has challenges.
“It’s harder for me now, right? And I feel a responsibility to hold space for what everyone is holding,” she said. “That can be very hard sometimes.”
She notices the crowds outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza more than ever. Women hold signs identifying themselves as members of the “widow club.” Others say they are battling cancer or mourning siblings.
“The woman I want to be, she wants to go meet them, and she wants to hold space for them and she wants to go outside and she wants to make eye contact with them,” Jones explained. “So I do it. So I go.”
Marathon Memories
Jones compared the encouragement to running a race.
“I remember when I was running the marathon with real weight on my shoulders, it felt like the cheering would carry me when my legs were like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t run anymore,'” she said. “It feels that way now. I’m literally carried by support and love.”
She believes sharing stories creates mutual strength. Viewers tell her about chemotherapy schedules, late spouses, or sick children, and she answers with her own experience of caregiving for Ojeh.
“It really does give me strength,” she added. “Even now, with this new chapter beginning and a new show, I feel carried into it and supported. I don’t feel alone.”
New Chapter, Same Intention
Jones said leading with intention means acknowledging loss while still showing up for the audience.
Her routine now includes:
- Reading a portion of letters each morning
- Hand-writing replies during breaks
- Visiting fans outside the studio
- Sharing brief personal updates on air
The goal, she told News Of Los Angeles, is to honor the people who took time to write while proving that grief and forward motion can coexist.
Key Takeaways
- 1,200 handwritten replies show Jones’ commitment to supporters after her husband’s death
- The Today with Jenna & Sheinelle era launched January 12, four months after NBC announced her permanent promotion
- Jones meets widows, cancer patients, and grieving viewers outside the plaza daily
- She credits fan letters with giving her the strength to return to live television
