At 75 years old, former Tonight Show host Jay Leno doesn’t appear to be making any moves to retire from comedy or entertainment in general, even as his personal life continues to be a meaningful struggle. Leno’s wife Mavis, whom he’s been married to since 1980, was diagnosed in 2024 with advanced dementia, and ever since, he’s been right by her side to offer whatever comfort and support he can. As it turns out, not everyone can so easily grasp his commitment
Appearing on the podcast Life Above the Noise with Maria Shriver, the mostly apolitical comedian talked about life after late night and why he doesn’t like political comedy these days. When the conversation turned to his marriage, Leno shared that reactions from the public can sometimes skew more shocking than expected, particularly by way of questioning his decision to stick it out. As he put it:
You take a vow when you get married. And people are stunned, they're shocked when you live up to it.
Leno implies that fans and followers will jump to the assumption that Mavis' medical condition leaves him available to step outside of the marriage if and when he pleases. But that's not at all how the Emmy winner views things, as it doesn't sound like he could even conceive of seeking a new romance elsewhere. As he put it:
My favorite thing — this is the most Hollywood thing — a guy said to me, 'So are you going to get a girlfriend now?' 'Well, no. I have a girlfriend. I'm married. I've been married 45 years.' 'Yeah, but you know what I mean.' No. [Laughs.] We're kinda in this together. You can't go, 'Honey, I'll be with my girlfriend, I'll be back later.'
It's unclear if the person Leno referenced was someone he knew or not, but I can only hope it wasn't a total stranger. I can't imagine asking any married celebrities about getting a girlfriend, even if that celebrity happened to be a really close friend of mine. I also can't imagine staying with a partner for 44 years and then jumping ship over a medical diagnosis, but not everyone is so inclined, I guess.
Beyond that, Jay Leno says that people also tend to make the unwarranted assumption that caring for Mavis has been an overbearing burden for him. Countering that idea, he says his life has been so relatively free from burdens that he gets that this is his hurdle to clear. In his words:
I haven't really been tested in my life. I wasn't in the army. I didn't have to shoot anybody. So this is that thing. . . . I'm glad I'm passing the test, because you never quite know what you're gonna do in that situation, or any situation. So I like to think I made the right decision.
One can only hope that Mavis feels the same way, when possible, and appreciates him for sticking around and handling whatever he can.
Leno dealt with his own serious medical issues following massive third-degree burns suffered in 2022, and he then broke his ribs and his collarbone in a motorcycle accident in 2023. Since then, he’s seemingly managed to stay out of the hospital, and here’s hoping that remains the case for as long as can be.
Leno hasn’t exactly stopped working during any of this, either. Even beyond his Shifting Gears guest spot in Season 1, he’s still filming his vehicle-driven show (pun entirely intended) Jay Leno’s Garage for YouTube. Plus, he’s still a mainstay on the stand-up circuit, and continues to perform in clubs all over the country.
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