Jay Leno on Caring for His Wife Mavis After Dementia Diagnosis
Jay Leno’s wife, Mavis, was diagnosed with advanced dementia in April 2024. The former Tonight Show host was granted conservatorship and has devoted himself to her care.
Married since 1980, Jay and Mavis first met at the Comedy Store in the 1970s. Despite once believing she’d never marry, Mavis said meeting Jay gave her “a calm sense of having arrived at my destination.”
Now 75, Leno says caring for Mavis is not a burden but a privilege. Speaking at the 34th annual Love Ride charity event, he shared, “My wife is fighting dementia, but it’s not cancer or a tumor. I enjoy taking care of her. It’s not work—I enjoy her company, and we have fun with it.”
He added, “It’s tricky, but I’m very lucky. As soon as this ride’s over, I’m going home to make her lunch.”