‘Today’: Sarah Jessica Parker Gushes Over Jenna & Sheinelle’s Partnership

Sarah Jessica Parker celebrated being one of the first guests on Today With Jenna & Sheinelle by sharing kind words for the show’s leading ladies.

“I’m so happy to see you both, and welcome home [Sheinelle],” Parker told Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones on the show’s Wednesday, January 14, episode. “Everybody is so happy.”

Parker praised Jones for becoming Bush Hager’s new fourth hour of Today cohost, as well as shared how her casting has spread a positive vibe behind the scenes. “Sheinelle, you’ve created such a lovely spirit around this partnership, and it just couldn’t be better,” she gushed.

Jones returned to Today in September 2025 after taking several months off to be by her late husband Uche Ojeh‘s side amid his private battle with brain cancer. She joined Bush Hager as a guest host on the fourth hour of Today (formerly titled Today With Jenna & Friends) before permanently taking the position on Monday, January 12.

Jones was so touched by Parker’s comments that she shared her own sweet story about the actress. “You may not even remember this about me. One time, I was interviewing you for something, and she just smelled so good,” Jones began before Parker hilariously quipped, “What a relief!”

Jones continued, “I remember it was over, and I said, ‘Sarah, you just smell so good,’ and then we went on with the event. And then, at the end, I was leaving, you came up to me, and you gave me the bottle of what it was. And then, of course, I’m not using it because it’s you and I’m obsessed with you. So, I saved the bottle.”

Giving people bottles of her favorite perfume is something Parker said she loves to do. “I do that with cab drivers and anyone on the street. I get someone’s number and try to get it to them in the mail,” she shared.

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During the conversation, Jones mentioned her love for Parker’s iconic TV series, Sex and the City. When asked how she wraps her head around what the show has meant to people, Parker surprised the hosts by revealing that she can’t.

“I’m not certain I’m actually capable of making sense of it, only because it feels recent that we decided to stop doing it,” she said, referring to the conclusion of SATC‘s spinoff series, And Just Like That…, last year. “And I think I’ve been very comfortable just, sort of, ignoring the realities of not being with those people, that crew, that cast, that woman, those streets of New York. So, I think it’s simply easier for me to recognize that there was this extraordinary association in my professional career that was consequential.”

Jones went to let Parker know how much the series has meant to her, stating, “It made me proud to be a woman. It made me proud to embrace who I am and friendship. It didn’t matter whether you were Black or white. We just saw friendship, and we wanted it. And so, I just hope one day you give yourself a moment to know how you made us all feel. I mean that sincerely.”

Jones’ first week on the fourth hour of Today has been full of famous guests, including Oprah Winfrey and Gabrielle Union. During her first show on Monday, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford made a special appearance to formally pass the torch to Jones and Bush Hager.

Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Weekdays, 10 a.m./9c, NBC