Jay Leno (L) and wife philantropist Mavis Leno attend the 7th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Awards for Global Women’s Rights at The Beverly Hills Hotel on April 26, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo: David Livingston/Getty
Jay Lenohas filed for conservatorship for his longtime wifeMavis, who he says has been diagnosed with dementia.
According to theCenters for Disease Control, dementia impairs a person’s ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities.
Representatives for Leno did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Jay Leno (R) and wife Mavis Leno attend the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Sunset Tower on February 26, 2012 in West Hollywood, California.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
This is the first time Leno has addressed his wife’s health.
Mavis was with the former late show host while he recovered from his injuries fromsecond and third degree burnsafter agasoline firein 2022. He had beenworking on a steam engine underneath a carin his garage when the fire started.
Dr. Peter Grossman, a plastic surgeon and medical doctor at the Grossman Burn Center and West Hills Hospital where Leno was treated, said that Mavis was “obviously very concerned” while Leno went through recovery.
“My wife doesn’t drive anymore and I didn’t want her stuck and not knowing what was going on,” Leno explained. “It just seemed like the right thing to do, and I think it was.”
HostHoda Kotbasked, “So you loved your wife more than you worried about yourself?” to which he responded, “Yeah, that’s it!”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The comedian initially met his wife after he performed at the iconicComedy Storein the ’70s, and tied the knot in 1980. Leno previously joked toPEOPLEabout the secret to their long-lasting marriage, saying, “Not screwing around is a huge key. You can do a lot. You can leave your underwear on the doorknob for the rest of your life if you don’t screw around.”
All jokes aside, Jay shared, “I always tell guys when they meet a woman, ‘Marry your conscience. Marry someone who’s the person you wish you could be and it works out okay.'”
source: people.com
