‘Today’ Co-Host Sheinelle Jones Reveals Reason for Absence

The mystery of Sheinelle Jones has been solved.

Jones, 46, co-host of the third hour of “Today,” was noticeably absent from the beloved morning show late last week — he missed Hoda Kotb’s monumental finale show after nearly 18 years old, Friday January 10.

When she failed to show up on Monday, January 13, viewers became increasingly concerned following rumors of possible upheavals within the network.

But Jones finally confirmed the reason for his absence Wednesday morning in a statement on Instagram.

“Hi everyone…I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out to me during my absence from the show,” she wrote. “I want to share with you that I am taking the time to resolve a family health issue.”

She continued, “It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to not only have the support of my Today Show family, but to have all of you. Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon. My love, Sheinelle.

Savannah Guthrie read Jones’ statement on “Today” Wednesday.

“We would like to share here some news from our friend Sheinelle. We know so many of you are asking about Sheneille and we miss her and we miss her too,” Guthrie, 53, said.

Craig Melvin added: “We love you all and can’t wait to see you again.”

Guthrie also showed her support for her co-host on her Instagram post, commenting: “We love you so much. not the same without you. we will see you again soon ❤️.

Jenna Bush Hager said: “You are a queen and you are LOVED beyond measure! Wrapping our arms around you, always ❤️.

Before Jones’ announcement, many viewers were angry because she wasn’t there to say goodbye to Kotb, 60.

“Not even a recorded track from @SheinelleJones on the @TODAYshow for @hodakotb’s last day?! This seems strange. I hope she’s okay,” wrote one concerned viewer on X, formerly Twitter.

“I loved the movie HODA, but I was really wondering why Sheinelle Jones wasn’t in the cast?” added a second observer.

“@TODAYshow can you tell us where Sheinelle Jones is? So strange that she misses #Hoda K’s farewell! » begged a third.

“Today” meteorologist Al Roker acknowledged Jones’ absence from his usual segment Friday, telling viewers at home that “Sheinelle is missing,” according to USA Today.

Jill Martin replaces Jones.

This isn’t the first time Jones has been absent from the show since joining the “Weekend Today” team in 2014. Jones became co-host of the third hour of “Today” in January 2019.

She was nowhere to be seen on the November 15 episode, but returned the following Monday, revealing that she had traveled to speak at an event for the Society of Professional Women.

In 2020, Jones took a break from “Today” for several weeks while she recovered from vocal cord surgery.

“This has been a long time coming,” she told her co-hosts at the time, according to Page Six.

She was also forced to decline several public speaking engagements after her doctor ordered her not to speak for two weeks after the operation, which came with an expected six-week recovery period.

Despite Jones’ absence, Kotb came out swinging on Friday.

Several people made surprise visits for his farewell episode, including his former “Today” co-host Kathie Lee Gifford.

Kotb’s final episode of “Today” was accompanied by a ton of tears, as she broke down crying with her close friend and “Today” co-host, Jenna Bush Hager.

Before his big farewell to the “Today” show, Kotb revealed his next project, which will launch in the spring.