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 opening up about defying the Hollywood pressure to “get a girlfriend,” instead remaining devoted to his wife and their marriage vows.
Jay Stands By Mavis
Jay, 75, has been married to Mavis, 79, for 45 years. Despite this, he revealed in a new interview that some of his Hollywood friends have been shocked that he’s decided to care for her in the wake of her dementia diagnosis.
“You take a vow when you get married, and people are stunned … they’re so shocked that you would live up to it. Why?” Jay said while appearing on the “Life Above the Noise with Maria Shriver” podcast.
Host Maria Shriver responded by saying, “In sickness and in health. Then, when there is a sickness and you’re there, you’re saying people are like, ‘Whoa.’”
The most surprising responses came straight out of Hollywood, according to Jay.
“Yeah, my favorite thing was — and this is the most Hollywood thing — a guy said to me, ‘Uh, so are you going to get a girlfriend now?’ Well, no, I have a girlfriend. I’m married. I’ve been married 45 years,” Jay continued. “‘Yeah, but you know what I mean.’ No … we’re kind of in this together, you know. You can’t, ‘Honey, honey, I’ll be with my girlfriend, I’ll be back later.’ That was like the most Hollywood thing. It just made me laugh.”
Maria was curious if this reaction surprised him.
“But you’re saying that people … their reaction has been surprising to you?” she asked.
“We just make a big deal out of it,” Jay responded. “You’re just doing the right thing because you’re supposed to. Right? That’s kind of — that used to be the norm, and then when you strayed, that was the out-of-whack part. Now the out-of-whack part is fairly common, and staying and doing what you’re supposed to do is stunning to people. Well, we kind of made a deal, you know.”
Jay Likes ‘Taking Care’ Of His Wife
Jay and Mavis have been married since 1980. Though they never had children, they have remained devoted to one another for decades. Back in November, Jay opened up about what it’s like to care for Mavis.
“It’s not work, because people come up, and say they feel so sorry. I understand the sympathy, because I know a lot of people are going through it, but it’s okay,” he told People Magazine. “I like taking care of her, I enjoy her company, and we have a good time. We have fun with it, and it is what it is.”
Jay made similar comments about his life with Mavis back in September.
“My wife’s got some problems, so it’s just her and I. But it’s always been her and I for the last 45 years anyway, so it’s fine,” Jay told People at the time. “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 added of his wife. “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.”
In the crazy world of Hollywood, it’s rare to find a marriage that is actually able to stand the test of time. That’s what makes Jay’s devotion to his wife and their marriage vows so special.
Please join us in saying a prayer for the Lenos as they continue to navigate this challenging chapter of their lives!