Jay Leno reveals what his life is like now taking care of his wife after advanced dementia diagnosis
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Jay Leno has dismissed one of the most common thoughts people have regarding his duty to take care of his wife, who was sadly diagnosed with dementia last year..
Former late-night TV host Leno got pretty open and candid about his life taking care of his wife, in a new interview.
His wife, Mavis, was diagnosed with advanced dementia in April 2024, and Leno has now dismissed some of the ideas about her condition and their relationship following the news.
Leno, who has been married to Mavis since the 1980s, insisted he enjoys taking care of her and broke down how that works.
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Speaking to PEOPLE, he said: “I've been very lucky in my life. My wife is fighting dementia and all that, but it's not cancer. It's not a tumor, so I enjoy taking care of her.”
He also dismissed the idea that it is ‘work’ to take care of his wife due to her ailing health.
He continued: "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.
“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.
“There are going to be a couple of years that are tricky. So, the first 46, really great. But it's okay. It's not terrible. I'm not a woe-is-me person. I'm just lucky that I am able to take care of her.”
Leno also made it clear he knows he is in a better situation than most to take care of someone with a serious medical condition like dementia.
He acknowledged that he is very lucky to have the financial means to do so and noted that when he is done with the interview, he was going to head home to make his wife lunch.
Leno also noted that despite occasionally traveling for work, whenever he has to, he does his very best to get home to his wife the same day.
Speaking to the outlet in September, he said: "I come home every day. I went to Puerto Rico for the day and [the] plane waited and I came right back.
"That's what I do. I try to be home every night. So that's kind [of] what I do.”