Sheinelle Jones on ‘Today’ Supporting Savannah Guthrie: ‘We Love Hard’ (Exclusive)

Sheinelle Jones celebrated her new book “Through Mom’s Eyes," which features heartfelt life lessons from the women who raised some of the world’s most celebrated entertainers and athletes, at a launch party at the new midtown hot spot Double Knot in New York City.

“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Sheinelle about wanting to write the book.

She said, “I remember during COVID when the whole world was on a collective pause, I looked at my husband. I was like, I think I want to write a book. I was like, all these women I’ve been interviewing, I feel like there’s more there. And he was like, ‘You should do it.’ And now, six years later… here I am on this hot pink carpet.”

Jones noted that one is “never too old” for a mother’s advice.

She shared, “A lot of my book events so far, they’ve been grandmothers who are buying it for their nieces and granddaughters. But I think it’s one of those things where whether you’re an auntie, a teacher, a coach, like a lot of us are present in the lives of kids, and this is just a love letter to them, you know, kind of a cheat code.”

When asked what she learned from writing the book, Sheinelle answered, “I think there’s a common thread in being present. It sounds kind of ‘woo woo woo,’ but it’s really true. Like, I was thinking about there was a story where Lady Gaga was, like, little and, like, banging on the piano and you know some moms will be like, ‘Oh, my God, if you don’t stop, if you don’t,’ you know what I mean? But she was like, ‘You’ve got something there.’

“And then she said... ‘Should we get you lessons?’ And at the time Gaga was like, ‘But I already know how to play.’ You know, she had that little inner confidence, you know, and every woman I’ve talked to talks about the time when they knew Lin Manuel Miranda, I think it was a holiday play, a Christmas play, and she said she was sitting in the audience and she was like, ‘He’s good.’ You know, like each one of them had that moment and then you lean into their talent, you know.”

So when did her mom know she was going to be a news anchor?

Sheinelle noted, “True story. When I was in fifth grade, I write about in the book, I have this, it was career day and there was a yellow sheet of construction paper. I drew myself as a news anchor and my grandmother was like, ‘That would be amazing. What would you need to do if you wanted to be a news reporter?’ You know, and so I talk a lot about my grandmother in this book. She was so excited for this. She was going to do the press tour with me and my mom. She passed away on New Year’s Eve, but I feel her presence here, and I’m so happy I got to honor her in this book. I hope they say my mom is resilient. She’s loving. She’s strong. She was ambitious. And she was an amazing mom.”

Amid her quest to write a book, Jones’ husband got sick and passed away.

She recalled, “I mean, my life got turned upside down. You know, I’m talking I’m writing the chapter on, you know, Wanda Durant. And I start the chapter by saying, you know, how much I love single mothers. My mom was a single mom twice and I respect single mothers. Little did I know I was going to be one. Do you know what I mean?

“Or, you know, Shaq’s mom talks about challenges she had and she decided in her 40s to go get a degree. So, it’s like these women, they were all dealing with stuff. And I think as much as we do, we talk about the celebrities, I think it’s also important to talk about the women and how important it is to pour into yourself and to be strong and to lean on your faith, like all of those things. So, my hope is that women will buy it for each other and they’ll read it.”

Sheinelle fulfilled a promise to her husband to finish the book. She admitted, “It is so surreal. This book was supposed to come out last April, April 14, and he was sick because he died a month later. And I did not want to postpone this book. I wanted it out last spring. I was like, “No, I can do it.

“But now I look at it and I’m touring and all of that. There’s no way that I could have done it. And what’s so interesting is I feel like now is the time. This is when it was supposed to happen. And he got to read it. He loved it. And I now standing here talking to you, I got to fulfill my promise. “

Sheinelle reflected on how her “Today” family was with her “in the trenches” and getting to support Savannah Guthrie now.

Jones said, “When I came back from leave, Savannah, you know, I sat down and I interviewed with her and what people don’t see is how she wrapped her arms not just around me but for my entire family. She was there with me in the trenches. Al Roker was there with me in the trenches. Jill Martin was hanging lights. I mean they were all with me in the trenches. So now when there’s a chance for us to do the same thing, it’s not even a question.