Jay Leno on wife Mavis dementia battle: Its a…
Jay Leno is a man of his phrase.
The comic, 74, is the official caretaker for his wife of 45 years, Mavis, after she was identified with dementia and he was granted conservatorship over her final 12 months. Now, Leno is reflecting on that position.
“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?’” he stated whereas on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger” on Wednesday. “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.”
Jay Leno provides uncommon replace on being a caretaker for his wife, Mavis. Graham Bensinger/Youtube
Jay Leno and his wife, Mavis Leno, in 1986. MediaPunch through Getty Images
Leno added that “it’s basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things.”
The late-night host, who tied the knot with the 78-year-old philanthropist in 1980, isn’t phased by their new dynamic.
“But, I like it. I like taking care of her,” Leno continued. “She’s a very independent woman, so I like that I’m needed.”
Jay Leno and wife Mavis Leno on Dec. 31, 1990. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal through Getty Images
Amid the robust occasions, the actor admitted “you have to find the humor.”
Memory flashcards have additionally garnered some laughs from Leno and Mavis nowadays.
“It’s kind of fun,” he confessed to host Graham Bensinger. “I go, ‘Honey, that’s President Obama. Remember we had dinner?’ [She’ll say], ‘Oh, not me.’ [And I’ll say], ‘Yeah, honey, that was you!’”
Mavis Leno on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 2001. Getty Images
Leno additionally took a second to mirror on the new actuality of their marriage and life.
“Well, that’s the challenge, isn’t it? When you have to feed someone and change them and carry them to the bathroom and do all that kind of stuff every day,” he defined. “It’s a challenge. And it’s not that I enjoy doing it, but I guess I enjoy doing it.”
“I’m not just, ‘This person is attractive and sexy,’ and having sex with them and everything. At some point in my life, I’m gonna be called upon to defend myself. I think that’s really what defines a marriage. I mean, that’s really what love is. That’s what you do. I mean, I’m glad I didn’t cut and run. I’m glad I didn’t run off with some woman half my age or any of that silly nonsense. I would rather be with her than doing something else.”
Mavis Leno and Jay Leno attend Netflix’s “Unfrosted” premiere at The Egyptian Theatre on April 30, 2024. Getty Images for Netflix
In January, Leno spoke candidly about Mavis’ analysis with The Post.
“I still make her laugh every day, and that’s always fun,” the author gushed on the time. “We go back on YouTube — they have all the ‘Headlines’ [segments] that we did over the years. And my wife enjoys those, and it’s like she forgets that she just saw it, so she laughs again at the same jokes. So for a comedian, that’s great.”
In 2024, Leno first introduced his wife — who he married after assembly on the Comedy Store within the ’70s — had superior dementia and that he was granted conservatorship over her. As famous in court docket paperwork, Mavis generally doesn’t acknowledge him, however the tv star stated “it’s OK.”
Jay Leno and wife Mavis during the 1993 Emmy Awards. FilmMagic, Inc
The couple arrive on the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. WireImage
“She’s not in any pain. Anybody that’s dealt with this knows that,” expressed Leno. “You know, I enjoy her company. I would still rather be with her than not be with her … But is it ideal? No.”
To today, the spouses — who’ve no kids — nonetheless keep their favourite rituals.
“When ‘The Tonight Show’ finished, I would just come home every night and work on the monologue and be with my wife, and we’d watch a movie or watch TV,” stated Leno. “And it’s pretty much like that now, same thing, except now I just kind of go, ‘You know, honey, you know what this movie is about?’ You just have to explain.”
In April 2024, Mavis’ lawyer, Robert Ostrin, stated she was “in agreement” with the conservatorship during a listening to at Los Angeles County Superior, per People. Mavis famous she was “receiving excellent care with her husband, Mr. Leno.”
Jay Leno and Mavis Leno attend the premiere of “Jay Leno’s Garage” in 2015. FilmMagic
“I think she’s in the least restrictive environment,” the choose concurred. “I think she’s in very good care with Mr. Leno.”
“Based on my interaction with Mr. Leno, plus some research I have done, he seems to be a standup guy,” Ostrin added. “And his private persona matches the public persona he projects.”
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