Jay Leno means business when it comes to his wedding vows with wife Mavis Leno.
“You take a vow when you get married, and people are stunned that you would live up to it. Why? Well, you already said it,” Jay, 75, shared in a “Life Above the Noise” conversation with Maria Shriver published on Saturday, January 10. “My favorite thing — this is the most Hollywood thing — a guy said to me, ‘So are you going to get a girlfriend now?’ Well, no. I have a girlfriend. I’m married. We’ve been married 45 years. [We’re] kind of in this together here.”
Mavis’ advanced dementia diagnosis was revealed in early 2024, with Jay being granted conservatorship over her estate months later.
Since then, Jay has shared insight into his life as a caregiver for his wife of more than 45 years.
“You can’t go, ‘Honey, I’ll be with my girlfriend, I’ll be back later,’” he explained in his latest interview. “That was the most Hollywood thing. It made me laugh.”
Ever since sharing his wife’s diagnosis, the former late-night TV host has noticed a reaction by some who appear to be surprised that he’s remained so devoted to Mavis.
According to Jay, he’s just doing the right thing.
“If you know somebody in this situation, go up and tell them they’re doing a good job,” he shared. “It’s like greeting a soldier and telling them how much their service meant to you.”
While caring for someone with dementia has its struggles, Jay continues to focus on the positives.
The former host of The Tonight Show savors moments when he can crack a good joke and get a reaction out of Mavis.
“Making my wife laugh is still one of my primary things, and you figure out how to do it,” he shared. “The other night, we were lying in bed. She goes, ‘Honey, I love you.’ I said, ‘You’re having a nightmare. Go back to bed.’ She thought that was the funniest thing. She just couldn’t stop laughing.”
Shriver, 70, herself has been an advocate for those living with Alzheimer’s disease after her father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed in 2003. She executive produced the docuseries The Alzheimer’s Project in 2009, which won two Emmys.
When she reminded Jay that he’s not alone in his experiences as a caregiver, the comedian assured fans he’s handling the title well.
“I haven’t really been tested in my life. I wasn’t in the army. I didn’t have to shoot anybody. So this is that thing,” he explained. “This separates the men from the boys or whatever phrase you want to use. I’m glad I’m passing the test, because you never quite know what you’re going to do in that situation, or any situation. So I like to think I made the right decision.”
Jay continued, “When people come up and they say, ‘Oh, that’s very nice.” Oh, well, thank you. You know, most people don’t get that. Most people who do this kind of job, nobody knows they’re doing [a great] job.”
