Jay Leno opens up about wife’s dementia
Jay Leno was granted conservatorship of Mavis Leno in 2024 after she was diagnosed with dementia
Jay Leno, comedian and former late night host, sat down for an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, where he opened up about becoming his wife’s caretaker.
He was granted conservatorship of Mavis Leno in 2024 after she was diagnosed with dementia, following a marriage of four decades.
"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?'" said the comedian. "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 added. "But, I like it. I like taking care of her. She's a very independent woman, so I like that I'm needed."
Explaining that they now gpthrough memories via flashcards, he said, "It's kind of fun. 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!'"
About the difficulty of their new dynamic, Leno admitted, "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. It's a challenge. And it's not that I enjoy doing it, but I guess I enjoy doing it."
