Jay Leno is sharing one of the most painful realities of his wife Mavis Leno’s’ battle with advanced dementia — a memory she was forced to relive every single day for three years.
During an emotional interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today show on Thursday, November 20, the comedian described what he called the hardest part of navigating his wife’s illness. “Probably the toughest part was every day she’d wake up and realize someone had called today to tell her her mother had passed away,” Leno, 75, revealed. “And her mother died every day for, like, three years.”
Leno explained that the moment of realization hit Mavis, 79, with full force each time. “Not just crying, I mean, you’re learning for the first time,” he said. “And that was really tricky.” As her condition has progressed, Leno tries to provide his other half with comfort and reassurance. “She wants to be reassured that everything’s okay,” he added. “Now she really needs me and I like that. And I can tell she appreciates it.”
The late-night icon reflected on the vows they made back in 1980 and how profoundly they feel now. “The idea that you get married, you take these vows, nobody ever thinks they’ll be called upon to act on them… Even the worse isn’t that bad,” he said.
Leno has also spoken candidly about what day-to-day life looks like as Mavis continues to navigate advanced dementia. After a Los Angeles court granted him conservatorship in April 2024, the comedian told PEOPLE this September that caregiving has felt like a natural extension of their 45-year marriage. “My wife’s got some problems, so it’s just her and I,” he said. “I enjoy taking care of her. It’s fun.”
? SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
Leno stressed that while dementia brings confusion, Mavis isn’t in physical pain. “People think, ‘Oh, it must be horrible.’ No… It’s just a confusion that comes with Alzheimer’s and dementia. And that’s okay.” Even with work travel, he makes it a point to return home to her nightly. “I went to Puerto Rico for the day and [the] plane waited and I came right back.”
Their bond stretches back to the 1970s, when they met at the Comedy Store before marrying in a small ceremony in 1980 — a date that also happened to be his parents’ anniversary.
Hence then, the article about jay leno shares the really hard memory wife mavis relived daily for years amid advanced dementia battle was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Jay Leno Shares the ‘Really Hard’ Memory Wife Mavis Relived Daily for Years Amid Advanced Dementia Battle )
Also on site :
- Anycubic Opens Deposits for Kobra X, Following Formnext Debut of Its Next-Generation Entry-Level Multicolor FDM Printer
- Numbrix 9 - December 26
- Southern Water accused of ‘failure’ after burst pipe leaves homes without running water on Christmas Day