Jay Leno has shared new details about his marriage, opening up about his wife’s dementia diagnosis.
Speaking with Maria Shriver on her podcast, Leno, 75, revealed the most surprising ways in which people have reacted to his commitment to his wife, Mavis, 79.
“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 told Shriver, 70.
“My favorite thing was—this is the most Hollywood thing. A guy said to me, ‘So, are you gonna get a girlfriend now?’" Leno continued, sharing his response. “Well, no, I have a girlfriend. I’m married. Married 45 years.”
Mavis’s diagnosis became public knowledge when Leno filed for a conservatorship of his wife’s estate in January 2024. The petition stated that Mavis, who was 77 at the time, had “been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years.” In April 2024, Leno was deemed “suitable and qualified” to be the conservator of Mavis’ estate, according to documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The former Tonight Show host has spoken in depth about his wife’s medical condition and their life together since her diagnosis came to light.
Leno elaborated on people’s shock about his relationship in the aftermath of the diagnosis, telling Shriver that “staying and doing what you’re supposed to do is stunning to people.”
In the candid, often heartfelt interview, the former late-night host said his life has been “easy sailing” up until now. “I haven’t really been tested in my life,” he said, adding, “This is where it gets a little tricky.”
“And I’m glad I’m passing the test. So I like to think I made the right decision,” he said.
Shriver then asked Leno about the costs and hidden labor of caregiving, noting that there are an estimated 63 million caregivers in the U.S.
“There are people doing way more than I am,” he explained. He said that he enjoys caring for his wife. “I enjoy going home. I go home as soon as I can. And I enjoy taking care of her.”
“I mean, making my wife laugh is still one of my primary things, you know,” Leno told Shriver. “Making her laugh. I enjoy that.”
Leno and Mavis have been married since 1980. The couple does not have any children.
