Former ‘Tonight Show’ host Jay Leno has filed for guardianship of his wife, Mavis, after she was diagnosed with dementia. The 73-year-old comedian took legal steps to create a living trust for his spouse to ensure she has managed assets to provide future care in the event of her death. The court documents obtained by TMZ also stated that Mavis is not opposed to the guardianship and does not prefer another person to act as guardian.
Leno also requested that Mavis, 77, not attend the court hearing on the matter as it would be detrimental to her physical and mental health. It is unclear when Mavis’ condition was diagnosed, but the couple has been seen together as recently as November.
When Leno was recovering from burns he suffered in a house fire in 2022, Dr. Peter Grossman, a physician and plastic surgeon at the Grossman Burn Center and West Hills Hospital, where he was treated, remarked that Mavis was “obviously very worried” about her spouse.
Leno admitted that after he was injured, his first thoughts were of his wife, and he chose to go home first rather than go straight to the Los Angeles burn clinic that doctors had recommended. During an interview on ‘Today’ in December 2022, he explained, “My wife no longer drives and I didn’t want her to be stuck not knowing what was happening. She just seemed like the right thing to do and I think she was.”
The former talk show host and renowned comedian emphasized the closeness of his relationship with his wife, saying that she is doing as well as can be expected from a wife concerned about her husband. When asked if he loved his wife more than he cared for himself, Leno simply replied, “Yeah, that’s it!”