Accompanied by his husband, actor Jermelle Simon Jones, influencer and creative Obio Jones radiated a calm resilience on the blue carpet of the NAACP Creative Honors despite the heavy personal news he recently shared with the world.
Not long ago, Obio took to social media to reveal a deeply personal health struggle: a testicular cancer diagnosis. While speaking on the blue carpet, he opened up about exactly why he chose to make such a vulnerable moment public.
For Obio, the sheer shock of the diagnosis was rooted in his age. Like many people in their prime, he didn’t view himself as being at risk.
“I feel so young. And so I thought it wouldn’t happen to me,” he shared. “The fact that I went to the doctor and was given a cancer diagnosis was like, ‘Whoa.'”
Realizing that many other young men likely walk around with the exact same invincibility complex, Obio knew he had to speak out. He wanted to use his platform as a wake-up call for others who might be putting off their routine doctor visits.
“I wanted to urge guys to go get checked, man, see what you have going on,” Obio explained. He emphasized the life-saving importance of being proactive rather than reactive, noting his own good fortune in the situation. “I caught it early, thankfully, but it could have been a different way. Just making sure guys are really being up on their health is important.”
Beyond his health advocacy, Obio also dropped a quick gem for his fellow creators. When asked how to remain authentic in a digital space that constantly pushes people to chase the algorithm, his advice was refreshingly blunt.
“You gotta stop caring what people think,” he advised. “I know that sounds really simple and it’s difficult… [but in] the journey to stop caring about what other people think, you’ll find your creativity.”
Between his life-saving advocacy for men’s health and his grounded approach to digital creation, Obio Jones continues to use his platform to inspire, educate, and uplift his community.
