The former “Tonight Show” host filed for conservatorship of his wife of over 40 years last year.

Jay Leno opens up about ‘toughest part’ of wife Mavis’ advanced dementia

The former "Tonight Show" host filed for conservatorship of his wife of over 40 years last year.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

EW's editorial guidelines

November 20, 2025 3:50 p.m. ET

Mavis Leno and Jay Leno. Credit:

Amy Sussman/Getty

Jay Leno admits that taking care of his wife, Mavis Leno, can be incredibly hard, but he doesn't mind putting in the work.

The former late-night host candidly opened up about the trials and tribulations of being the caretaker for Mavis, 79, who was diagnosed with advanced dementia last year, during an interview on the *Today* show on Thursday.

Leno, 75, was granted conservatorship over Mavis' estate in April 2024 following her diagnosis earlier that year. "I understand what it is, so you can't blame someone," the comedian told *Today*'s Hoda Kotb from his famous California garage. "She's not forgetting me. That hasn't happened yet. She seems extremely comfortable now. And she seems happy, and she seems contented. It's actually okay. It's good. I enjoy taking care of her."

Jay Leno and Mavis Leno.

Michael Tullberg/Getty

However, even with assistance, Leno admitted the hard times can be particularly devastating.

"Probably the toughest part was every day she'd wake up and realize someone had called today to tell her her mother had passed away," he recalled. "And her mother died every day for, like, three years."

Leno remembered the moments Mavis being reminded of her mother's death as especially traumatic because she experienced each reminder as if she was learning of it for the first time. "Not just crying, I mean, you're learning for the first time," he added. "And that was really tricky. Yeah, that makes it hard."

When describing her condition, the former *Tonight Show *host shared that Mavis will often "point to something and say something that doesn’t quite make sense."

"And I'll go, 'No, it's good, honey. It's all right.' I sense she wants to be reassured that everything's okay," he explained. "Now she really needs me and I like that. And I can tell she appreciates it. The idea that you get married, you take these vows, nobody ever thinks they'll be called upon to act on them. You know that part — for better or worse. Even the worse isn't that bad."

Jay Leno dismisses his recent injuries, says 'people get banged up' all the time

Jay Leno says L.A. fires made neighbors 'put aside their political beliefs' for first time since 9/11

Leno acknowledged that there are many things that Mavis can no longer do that he wishes he could help her with — like her love of traveling and trying new restaurants — but that the core components of their relationship remain the same.

"I enjoy her company, like if I'm working on a car, she'd sit over there with a book and read," he said. "It was just very — well, it still is, very comfortable. Before she had this, I would always go home after the *Tonight Show,* cook dinner for her, and we'd watch TV. The only difference is now you just can't really talk about a lot of things."

Mavis Leno and Jay Leno.

Christopher Polk/Getty

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Although Leno said he is aware that his wife may forget him, he enjoys that she still recognizes him for now.

"You know, when I'm carrying her — you know, carry her, like, to the bathroom — we do this and I call it Jay and Mavis at the prom, you know, in high school, you know," he quipped. "So, we're just, like, back and forth. And she thinks that's funny."**

And Leno noted that he doesn't doubt Mavis' love for him is still fresh in her mind. "You know, I can see the smile. I can tell when she's happy," he added. "And when she looks at me and smiles and says she loves me, I mean, I melt."

Watch Leno's interview on the *Today* show above.**

- Celebrities & Creators

- Entertainment Industry Roles

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedians”