Jay Leno and his wife Mavis first met after the former Tonight Show host had performed at the legendary Comedy Store in the 1970s and they have been together ever since.
“I always had this idea that I would never get married,” Mavis told People Magazine in 1987. “But with Jay, I began to realize that this was the first time I was ever with someone where I had a perfect, calm sense of having arrived at my destination.”
In 2024, Leno disclosed that his wife was diagnosed with advanced dementia.
Ever since, he has committed to taking care of her himself, saying he doesn’t see caregiving as a burden.
In April last year, Leno filed for conservatorship and Mavis’s lawyer said she was “in agreement” with it, adding that she is “receiving excellent care with her husband, Mr. Leno.”
On November 9, Jay Leno attended the 34th annual Love Ride at the Harley-Davidson store in Glendale, California. As the event’s grand marshal, Leno helped support the Harley-Davidson–owned charity, which has raised more than $25 million since its start in 1984.
While there, he spoke candidly about his wife Mavis and their life together as she faces dementia.
“I’ve been very lucky in my life. My wife is fighting dementia and all that, but it’s not cancer. It’s not a tumor, so I enjoy taking care of her,” he told People Magazine. “It’s not work, because people come up, and say they feel so sorry. I understand the sympathy, because I know a lot of people are going through it, but it’s okay. I like taking care of her, I enjoy her company, and we have a good time. We have fun with it, and it is what it is.”
“I’m very lucky. I enjoy her company. As soon as this ride’s over, I’m going home and I’ll make her lunch,” Leno said.
“There are going to be a couple of years that are tricky. So, the first 46, really great. But it’s OK. It’s not terrible. I’m not a woe-is-me person. I’m just lucky that I am able to take care of her,” he added.
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