by James Conrad
It’s been one year since the former Tonight Show host Jay Leno was granted a conservatorship of his wife Mavis Leno after she was diagnosed with dementia. Now, Jay is speaking out to praise his wife of nearly 45 years as her dementia battle continues.
‘She’s Not Suffering…’
“My wife’s got some problems, so it’s just her and I,” Jay, 75, told People Magazine. “But it’s always been her and I for the last 45 years anyway, so it’s fine. I enjoy taking care of her. It’s fun.”
“I mean, I do enjoy it. People think, ‘Oh, it must be horrible.’ No, because she’s not in any pain. She’s not suffering,” he continued of Mavis, 79. “It’s not like a tumor or cancer. It’s just a confusion that comes with Alzheimer’s and dementia. And that’s okay.”
Jay was granted a conservatorship over Mavis in April of 2024. At the time, the judge said emphatically that “she’s in very good care with Mr. Leno.”
Judging by Jay’s latest comments, it’s clear that the judge couldn’t be more right about this. Indeed, Jay is clearly an extremely devoted husband.
“I enjoy being her rock. It makes you feel wanted,” Jay admitted. “You got a purpose now. So it’s good.”
Mavis Has ‘Still Got The Fire’
Jay went on to tell a “funny story” about Mavis that shows that she’s still the same woman he fell in love with decades ago. The comedian explained that he and his wife were recently watching an old episode of Hawaii Five-O from the 1960s.
“We watched the episode where Stanley Holloway plays a genetic scientist who gets kidnapped,” Jay recalled. “So McGarrett goes to see his daughter, who’s like 40. And he says, ‘What kind of genetic engineering does your husband do?!’ And she says, ‘Well, I’m just a woman. I don’t understand such things.’ “
This didn’t sit well with Mavis.
“My wife was real involved with women’s issues,” Jay said. When Mavis heard the line, Jay added, “My wife’s like [makes growling noises]. She’s just yelling at the TV. She still got the fire. It just made me laugh. Just screaming at McGarrett … But it just made me laugh.”
Jay concluded by saying that when he needs to travel for work performing standup comedy, he always makes sure to return home to Mavis at night.
“I come home every day. I went to Puerto Rico for the day and [the] plane waited and I came right back,” Jay stated. “That’s what I do. I try to be home every night. So that’s kind what I do.”
Jay’s Marriage Vow To Mavis
Jay and Mavis first met in the 1970s, when he was performing at the iconic Comedy Store. They went on to marry in 1980. They never had children together, but they’ve been devoted to one another ever since.
Earlier this year, Jay revealed why he chose to personally become Mavis’ caretaker rather than have someone else do it.
“When you get married, you sort of take a vow: ‘Will I live up to this? Or will I be like a sleazy guy if something happens to my wife, I’m out banging the cashier at the mini mart?'” Jay said while appearing on In Depth with Graham Bensinger. “No, I didn’t. 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,” he added. “But, I like it. I like taking care of her. She’s a very independent woman, so I like that I’m needed.”
Watch Jay talk more about this in the video below.
In the crazy world of Hollywood, it’s rare to find a celebrity that takes his marriage vows as seriously as Jay does. We should all be so lucky to have a spouse like Jay Leno in our own lives.
God bless you both, Jay and Mavis Leno!
Full Article & Source:
Jay Leno Praises His Wife Mavis As She Battles Dementia
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