Sheinelle Jones’ Emotional Birthday Message, Grief After Uche Ojeh’s Death

Since Uche’s death at the age of 45, Sheinelle has been candid about the ups and downs in her grief journey.

“People see me on TV and they think ‘Oh, she’s better,'” she told People in an interview published in January. “It’s like, ‘Oh, no no. I’m not better.’ Every day, it’s like swimming through mud.”

“Even just to do normal things, to get up and brush your teeth, go to work, have the kids go to school, get dinner on the table, whatever it is, doing that when you’re grieving is very difficult,” the journalist continued. “I really had to do that work. I recognize that I hold two things: I hold my grief and I also hold this joy. I said it months ago, and I’ll say it now: I am fighting for my joy.”