When it comes to love stories, Jay Leno and his wife, Mavis, have one that’s as real as they come. It wasn’t all roses and moonlit walks when Jay popped the question. In fact, it was pretty practical. "I had this insurance policy, and I thought if something happened to me, my girlfriend wouldn’t be covered, but if we’re married, we’re covered, so we might as well get married,” Jay explained. Not the most romantic reason, but hey, it worked.
Fast forward 43 years, and Jay, now 73, is still looking out for Mavis, who's 77. After retiring from his late-night TV gig in 2014, Jay has taken on a new role—making sure his wife, who suffers from dementia, is well cared for. Recently, he filed legal documents to become her conservator. “It’s a smart move he’s making now,” says LA-based psychiatrist Dr. Todd Hill, who isn’t involved in their care. “Jay wants to ensure he can direct her care while he’s still around, and if anything happens to him, he wants someone he trusts to step in and take over.”
Back in the day, Jay and Mavis’s love story began at LA’s iconic Comedy Store. Sitting front row with a girlfriend, Mavis was blown away. “At the time, I thought, ‘Holy s–t! That comedian is gorgeous!’” Mavis recalled, remembering her first impression. She was just starting out as a comedy writer when they met backstage after she went to use the restroom. “I wasn’t great at dating,” Jay admitted, but that didn’t stop him from asking Mavis out. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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Marriage wasn’t exactly on Mavis’s radar. “I always had this idea that I would never get married,” she confessed. “It was a big part of my identity, tied to my feminist beliefs. But with Jay, I realized something: this was the first time I felt like I’d finally found my place in the world.” They tied the knot in 1980 during a small ceremony on November 3, the same date Jay’s parents had married. It was a moment of destiny.
Although they never had children, their bond has remained rock-solid through life’s ups and downs. “We’ve been through losing both of our parents and Jay’s brother,” Mavis shared, reflecting on their journey. “We started with next to nothing, and now we have more than we could have imagined. But we’ve stayed the same. The best thing about Jay is his authenticity. What he says is genuine, no fluff, no pretense.”
Through Thick and Thin: A Commitment to Care
A few years back, Mavis began showing signs of memory loss. “It comes and goes. She’s not able to fully care for herself anymore. She’s often forgetful and sometimes doesn’t recognize or remember close friends,” an insider exclusively revealed to Closer.
Jay oversees Mavis’ care, but life threw him a couple of curveballs. In two years, he experienced two freak accidents. “My wife doesn’t drive anymore, and I didn’t want her to feel stranded or confused,” Jay said, explaining why he rushed home to see her rather than heading straight to the hospital after a severe burn from a 2022 vehicle fire. Then, the following year, Jay cracked his collarbone and sustained other fractures in a motorcycle mishap.
Facing his own mortality, Jay decided to take steps to protect Mavis should he pass away first. “That incident really scared him—not for himself, but for Mavis,” the insider explained. “Jay is simply being proactive. Mavis is the love of his life. He adores her, lives for her, and will do whatever it takes to ensure she feels loved, comfortable, and safe.”
