Jay Leno has filed for a conservatorship over his wife of more than four decades, reports NBC News. In his court filing last week in Los Angeles, Leno says that Mavis suffers from dementia and cannot make her own decisions, and that he believes she would approve of the move. “Unfortunately, Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years,” the petition states. Leno is 73 and his wife is 77. TMZ reports that Mavis actually has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The couple met in the 1970s after Leno performed at the Comedy Store and married in 1980, according to People. They have no children, a decision that Mavis has said was hers. This is the first time Leno has made public mention of his wife’s ailment. However, it might better explain his decision process in late 2022, after he suffered serious burns but opted to go home before going to a trauma center. “My wife doesn’t drive anymore and I didn’t want her stuck and not knowing what was going on,” he said on the Today show. “It just seemed like the right thing to do, and I think it was.”
I saw this yesterday and commented to my wife that Leno is one of the good guys that Hollywood didn’t corrupt. Smart, talented, skilled, grounded in common sense and doing the right thing. Love his Garage show and love the fact that he shares his hobby. I wish them both well!
I’m with Harry. Leno was a great character on Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing” and has always struck me as being a bit right of center. I’ve seen what dementia does (with several family members and that pathetic POTUS we have) and I wish them both the very best!
10s of thousands of US spouses and families have and are struggling with family members who have dementia/Alzheimer’s. It’s physically difficult, emotionally crushing and Spiritually demanding.
We are watching the Biden family’s sufferings with dementia every time Joe attempts to speak coherently or find his way off the stage after speaking. Sad !
Went through dementia with my grandmother and it’s the saddest chapter in my life.
I saw Jay Leno do an hour and half of stand up 2 weeks ago… just telling jokes & stories…
Been a long time since I laughed that hard.
Sad to hear this news…
That explains a lot. I see his garage vids pop up on YouTube, and I’ve thought that he seems to have aged 10 years in the most recent ones.
God bless Jay and Mavis Leno.
We lost my dad in December after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. It is a terrible disease, not only for what it does to the person’s suffering it, but also to ALL of this person’s relationships.
The scariest and saddest day was when my dad said to me “You’re doing a good job. I’m going to tell your parents.”
This journey was filled with highs and lows. It comes down to taking care of the basics for your loved one. All the other crap goes out the window. All you want to do is protect and care for this person who is slowly disappearing before your eyes. Bless all the people who are struggling with this.
BTW-Our family experience has really driven home how evil and inhumane Dr. Jill Biden is.
Cato – many of us do not share your empathy for the Biden family’s suffering with Joe’s dementia.
They willingly or unwillingly (I suspect blackmail) put their dementia patient in the White House to punish all of us. Those of us with personal experience with dementia in our families would never humiliate that person or endanger the welfare of the entire country to save ourselves. I suspect that Jill ED.D was told to play along and be the pretend FLOTUS or else she, Joe, Hunter and everybody else in the Biden crime family would be doing time.
Has always impressed me as a decent guy.
Some of the most insane cars in the world !
My father-in-law passed away at 45 with a rare brain degenerative disease called NBIA. I met my wife a couple years after he passed.
About 10 years ago one of my brother-in-laws passed away from the same disease as her father’s. He chose to not have a feeding tube.
Now it’s likely my wife of 28 years is suffering from the same condition. We are seeing a neurologist later this week.
NBIA has similarities to both Parkinsons and Alzheimers, so I could not help but make this post.
May the Lord comfort those who are ill and those taking care of them.
God Bless.
That’s sad news.
I’d never wish that on anybody. Prayers for Jay and his fine lady.
The saddest is that hw never had children. He married a woman older than him, and she deprived him of that gift. That’s the most sad. He has an intense car obsession to fill the void. Again: the decision was his wife’s alone.
I’m sorry for what everyone has and is going through. Prayers for all of you.
Leno, the other day: “American can do better than Trump.”
What an elitist ignoramus.
My parents live with me both in the early 9o’s.
Loads of fun.
EMS came to my house the other day,found my mom wondering the neighbour hood in her nightgown below freezing temps,the lady who found her called 911,fortunately the 911 operator was the daughter of a close friend and pointed them home.