US EditionJay Leno Says He Was Asked If He Would “Get a Girlfriend” Amid His Wife’s Dementia Battle
Jay Leno, married 45 years, cares for wife Mavis with advanced dementia and manages her conservatorship amid public curiosity about his personal life.
- On Jan. 11, Jay Leno, 75-year-old comedian and former late-night host, told Maria Shriver, 70, host of Life Above the Noise, `You take a vow when you get married, and people are stunned, they're shocked when you live up to it`.
- After Mavis Leno's early 2024 diagnosis, Jay Leno was granted conservatorship over her estate in April 2024, reflecting their marriage since 1980 and about 45 years together.
- Leno leans on humor to comfort Mavis during daily care moments, deliberately trying to make her laugh while managing her repeated reliving of her mother’s death for about three years.
- Public reactions included incredulity and intrusive queries, which Leno rebuffed with `A guy said to me, 'So, are you gonna get a girlfriend now?'`; Maria Shriver, 70, noted unseen caregivers remain widespread.
- The episode situates the couple's situation within long-term dementia caregiving realities, with Jay Leno calling it a major personal test he is glad to be passing and highlighting unseen caregivers in the U.S.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Jay Leno Left Speechless By Question About Getting A Girlfriend While Wife Struggles With Dementia
Jay Leno has responded to those who ask why he hasn’t left his wife amid her advanced dementia. The late-night icon defended his partner of 45 years, Mavis Leno, whose dementia diagnosis was made public in 2024. He first opened up about Mavis’ declining health in November, revealing that he carries his wife to the bathroom and that she sometimes “points to something and says something that doesn’t quite make sense.” Jay Leno shared that people a…
Leno Says People Can't Believe He's Honoring Marriage Vows
Jay Leno says the real surprise in Hollywood isn't his wife's dementia diagnosis—it's that he's staying put. On Maria Shriver's Life Above the Noise podcast, the 75-year-old comedian reflected on his marriage to Mavis Leno, 79, who was diagnosed with advanced dementia two years ago. Leno said people are...
Jay Leno Says People Are ‘So Shocked’ He’s Staying With His Wife Amid Her Dementia Battle
Comedian Jay Leno said certain people believe he should get a girlfriend to keep him company as his wife of 45 years, Mavis, battles dementia. The former host of “The Tonight Show” discussed what he’s been hearing during a recent episode of the “Life Above the Noise with Maria Shriver” podcast. “I’ve said this a bunch of times: you take a vow when you get married — and people are stunned … they’re so shocked that you would live up to it,” Leno s…
Talk show legend says people expected him to get a girlfriend after wife’s diagnosis
Jay Leno says he is surprised by public praise for caring for his wife after her dementia diagnosis, saying his commitment is simply part of the vows he made when they married.
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