Sheinelle Jones opens up to Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo about grieving her late husband

Sheinelle Jones has found inspiration in unexpected places as she grieves her late husband, Uche Ojeh.

While speaking with "Wicked: For Good" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for a "Today" interview that aired Nov. 12, the 47-year-old morning show cohost opened up to the actresses about how watching the film helped with her grieving process.

"You guys both know that I am grieving. I carry two things everywhere I go: I move forward, but I'm also grieving," she said. "And when I went into the theater to screen this movie, it was transcendent for me in a way that I didn’t know I needed."

Earlier this year, Jones took an eight-month hiatus from NBC's third-hour program "to deal with a family health matter," she explained in January. In May, Jones' "Today" colleagues announced that Ojeh had died at 45 following a "courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma."

"To see these characters be strong and brave and vulnerable, I’m sitting there thinking, 'OK, if these women can do this onstage or on the screen, so can I in my own way. I can be strong and courageous and brave," Jones told Grande and Erivo. "And not just your characters, but who you are as women in real life."

The "Wicked" stars thanked Jones for sharing her story, with Grande affirming, "You are all of those things."

Jones reflected on the interaction in a Nov. 9 Instagram post. Alongside a carousel of photos from their conversation, she wrote, "I couldn't think of two better ladies to connect with, and jump back into doing sit-down interviews again."

Jones and Ojeh married in 2007 and share three children: their eldest son, Kayin, and fraternal twins, Uche and Clara.

Sheinelle Jones described longtime husband Uche Ojeh's death as a 'nightmare'

As she returned to work in September, Jones spoke openly with colleague Savannah Guthrie about how she was faring months after the death of her husband of nearly two decades.

"The life that I've known since I was 19 is no more," Jones told Guthrie.

During the interview, Jones recalled how she and Ojeh would sit together as students at Northwestern University, looking at a clock tower with a beautiful view. Thirty years later, she said, they looked at a beautiful view of the New York City skyline from his hospital room.

"I remember staring out the window, and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, it’s like this crazy, full-circle moment,'" Jones said. "Here we are again, not talking, and it feels like a beautiful nightmare."

"I found beauty in the nightmare," Jones explained. "And trust me, it is a nightmare to watch a 45-year-old do two triathlons and live and breathe off of soccer and his kids … to take a guy like that and watch him have to deal with this fight was a nightmare."

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY