Jay Leno admits he 'likes taking care' of wife Mavis after dementia diagnosis: 'I'm glad I didn't run off'

ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS: Legendary former late-night host Jay Leno is showing us what it means to keep your vows. One year ago, after his wife Mavis Leno was diagnosed with dementia, he stepped in as her conservator—and it’s been the biggest challenge of his life.

In a candid chat on 'In Depth with Graham Bensinger', which aired Wednesday, April 23 (just days before Jay’s 75th birthday), he opened up about how much his daily routine has shifted.

Jay Leno enjoys taking care of his wife

“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?’” Jay Leno joked to Graham Bensinger. "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."

"It's basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things," he shared. "But, I like it. I like taking care of her. She's a very independent woman, so I like that I'm needed."

Jay’s big secret to getting through the tough days is a good dose of humor. He remembers the time Mavis insisted on splurging at Nordstrom because she wanted a pair of designer shoes.

And at home, they’ve turned memory‑jogging into a game. Pulling out flashcards, he’ll point to a picture of Barack Obama.

"It's kind of fun," Jay said. "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!'"

What real love looks like

But Jay Leno acknowledges how hard it is to suddenly become the caregiver who feeds, dresses, and carries your spouse every day.

“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 admitted. “It’s a challenge. And it’s not that I enjoy doing it, but I guess I enjoy doing it.”

There’s no glamorous side to this. “I’m not just, ‘This person is attractive and sexy,’ and having sex with them and everything,” he said.

Instead, Jay believes love is proven when you stick around for the tough stuff. “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," he gushed.

How it happened

In January last year, Jay Leno filed for conservatorship after his wife Mavis’ “advanced dementia” diagnosis. The petition was about making sure she’d have managed assets and a living trust for future care if anything happened to him.

By early April, Mavis’ court‑appointed lawyer, Ronald Ostrin, reported that she “consents” to Jay as her conservator and formally recommended the petition, People reported.

Her neurologist, Dr Hart Cohen, praised Jay as “such a nice man and treats [Mavis] like gold,” while Ostrin called Jay “a standup guy” whose “private persona matches the public persona he projects.”

Ostrin’s report also painted a clear picture of Mavis’ condition, revealing that she “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth." According to the neurologist, Mavis also “has a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother, who died about 20 years ago."

Yet, their bond shines through—Ostrin described them as “long‑term, loving and supportive,” with Mavis seeing Jay as “her protector, and she trusts him.”

Shortly after that filing, Jay and Mavis’ lawyer was in court at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where her attorney confirmed she was “in agreement” with the conservatorship and “receiving excellent care with her husband, Mr Leno.” The judge agreed, and Jay was declared “fit” to manage her estate.

Riding through personal setbacks

It’s been a rough few years for Jay Leno beyond Mavis’ health. In 2022, he suffered second and third‑degree burns after a gasoline fire in his garage while tinkering under a car—a nightmare he recovered from with Mavis by his side.

Then, in November last year, he fell down a steep hill and ended up breaking his wrist, losing a fingernail, and bruising his left side so badly he even wore an eye patch for a while.

The couple first met when Jay was cracking jokes at the Comedy Store back in the ’70s and tied the knot in 1980. 

When People previously asked him about the secret to 45 years together, he quipped, “Not screwing around is a huge key. You can do a lot. You can leave your underwear on the doorknob for the rest of your life if you don’t screw around.”

He also shared the marriage advice he gives to other guys: “I always tell guys when they meet a woman, marry your conscience. Marry someone who’s the person you wish you could be, and it works out okay.”