Three Key Takeaways:
- Jay Leno opened up about his role as a caregiver for his wife, Mavis, who is battling dementia, sharing how he honored his marriage vows by sticking by her through the challenges of caregiving.
- Despite the difficulties of daily caregiving, Leno finds joy in spending time with his wife, cooking for her, and using humor to cope with the ups and downs of her condition.
- Leno emphasized that enduring love and support during tough times define a marriage, and he is proud to be there for Mavis rather than turning his back on her, as many might expect.
Jay Leno is best known for cracking jokes on late-night TV.
There’s a side of him that fans never got to see.
And Jay Leno broke his silence about one scary situation he found himself in.
Jay Leno cares for his wife while she battles dementia
Comedian Jay Leno vowed to stick by his wife, Mavis, through sickness and health when they were married 45 years ago.
The 74-year-old former Tonight Show host went public with his wife’s battle with dementia last year.
A Los Angeles judge granted him a conservatorship for Mavis last year because of her advanced diagnosis.
Leno talked about what he learned from caring for his wife during an appearance on the In Depth with Graham Bensinger podcast.
He stressed that he made a vow to his wife 45 years ago, and nothing’s changed since then.
“I was not in the Army. I didn’t have to shoot anybody,” Leno explained. “I didn’t have to risk my life when I got married. You sort of take a vow… and, ‘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.’ No, I didn’t.”
Leno said that he enjoyed being able to spend time with his wife after he became her caregiver.
“I enjoy the time with my wife,” Leno stated. “I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV, and it’s OK. It’s OK. It’s basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things. But I like it.”
Jay Leno takes on his biggest challenge yet
Leno still hits the road to perform standup comedy and hosts his YouTube show, Jay Leno’s Garage.
Taking care of his wife was a new challenge for him, but one he gladly accepted.
“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,” Leno said. “It’s a challenge. And it’s not that I enjoy doing it, but I… I guess I enjoy doing it. It’s OK.”
He argued that being there during the hard times is what really defines a marriage.
“I mean, that’s really what love is. That’s what you do,” Leno stated. “I mean, I’m glad I didn’t cut and run. I’m glad I didn’t run off with some woman half my age or any of that silly nonsense. I would rather be with her than doing something else.”
Leno leans on humor to get through the ups and downs.
“I know I’m told people with dementia forget the people they’re with,” Leno explained. “But, you know, I do like pictures of the flashcards: Remember? Remember? Yeah. It’s kind of funny. I go, ‘Honey, that’s President Obama. Remember we had dinner?’ ‘Oh, not me.’ ‘Yeah, yeah. Honey, it was you’… You have to find the humor in it.”
Jay Leno stepped up to the plate and made the best of a bad situation.
