Jay Leno on Caring for His Wife Amid Her Dementia Battle: ‘That's Really What Love Is'
Former late-night TV host Jay Leno has shared insight into his new role as a caretaker, a little more than a year after being granted conservatorship over the estate of his wife, Mavis Leno, amid her ongoing battle with advanced dementia.
'I think that's really what defines a marriage,' Jay Leno, 74,
'That's really what love is. That's what you do ... I would rather be with her than doing something else.'
Jay Leno met his wife when he was performing stand-up comedy early on in his career. The two first crossed paths in 1976 at the Comedy Store, a famous comedy club in West Hollywood, tying the knot four years later.
The comedian went on to take over the reins from Johnny Carson as the host of NBC's 'The Tonight Show' in 1992. He helmed the evening talk show until 2014, taking a brief break in 2009 to host his short-lived 'The Jay Leno Show.'
In January 2024, the comedian filed a petition in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeking conservatorship of his then-77-year-old wife's estate, Entertainment Tonight first
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'Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years,' the petition reads, noting that her 'current condition renders her incapable of executing the estate plan.'
According to the filing, Jay Leno sought to establish a trust for the couple's joint estate to ensure that his wife had 'managed assets sufficient to provide for her care' if he died before her.
Speaking to Graham Bensinger, the former 'Tonight Show' host said he and his wife have grown closer despite the challenges they have faced in recent years.
'We've been married 45 years—the first 40, unbelievable, last five have been challenging, put it that way. But I think there's more love now,' he said, sharing that he's learned to 'find the humor' even in the most difficult of times.
'I enjoy the time with my wife: I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV, and it's okay.
'It's basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things, but I like it. I like taking care of her. ... She's a very independent woman, so I like that I'm needed.'
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