In a profoundly moving new interview, comedy legend Jay Leno has opened up about the daily anguish his wife, Mavis, endures as she battles advanced dementia, detailing a particularly heartbreaking symptom she has faced for three years.
The Heartbreaking Daily Reality
Speaking with Hoda Kotb on NBC's TODAY show, the 75-year-old entertainer described the devastating cycle his 79-year-old wife experiences. Every single day, Mavis wakes up only to be told the news that her mother has passed away, forcing her to relive the initial shock and grief as if for the first time. Leno explained that this has been her reality for approximately three years.
'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,' he told Hoda. 'And her mother died every day for, like, three years.' He emphasised the profound difficulty of the situation, noting, 'Not just crying, I mean, you’re learning for the first time. And that was really tricky. That makes it hard.'
A Devoted Caregiver's Role
Despite the challenges, Jay Leno has fully embraced his role as Mavis's primary caregiver. He was granted conservatorship over her estate last year, shortly after she was diagnosed with advanced dementia.
Fortunately, Leno shared that his wife's condition has not yet affected her recognition of him. 'She’s not forgetting me,' he said. 'That hasn’t happened yet. She seems extremely comfortable now. And she seems happy, and she seems contented. It’s actually OK. It's good. I enjoy taking care of her.'
His caregiving duties are hands-on, including carrying Mavis to the bathroom, a moment he injects with humour to lighten the mood. 'When I’m carrying her to the bathroom, we do this, and I call it Jay and Mavis at the prom in high school,' he shared. 'We’re just like, back and forth, and she thinks that's funny.'
Adapting to a New Normal
While he finds joy in caring for her, Leno expressed sadness over the activities they can no longer share. He mentioned that her appetite has 'really come back,' but he regrets not being able to take her out to dinner.
'I wish I could take her out and go out to eat and do things like that, but you can’t really,' he admitted. Instead, they have found new ways to enjoy their time together. 'We’ll get some help, and we’ll take her out in the car and we’ll drive around and look at stuff, and she likes that.'
He also revealed they adapt by watching travel and animal programmes on YouTube, a small comfort for a couple who loved to explore. 'I feel bad,' he added. 'You reach this point in your life where she loves to travel. I’m sad that she can’t do those things.'
Through it all, the spark in their long-standing relationship remains. The couple, who met at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles in the 1970s and have been married for 44 years, still share tender moments. 'I can see the smile,' Leno said. 'I can tell when she’s happy. And when she looks at me and smiles and says she loves me, I melt.'
Earlier this year, Mavis herself gave a brief update, accompanying Jay to the premiere of his film Unfrosted in Los Angeles. When asked by Entertainment Tonight how she was feeling, she positively stated, 'I feel great, yeah!'
