Jay Leno and his wife, Mavis, were married in 1980. After 45 years together, the couple has experienced exciting highs and some painful lows, but they have always stayed faithful to their vows. Jay’s had an incredibly successful career in Hollywood, and Mavis always stood right by his side, cheering him on. Now, the former Tonight Show host is opening up about his life with Mavis today and her ongoing battle with dementia.
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Jay Leno Has A Tremendous Devotion To His Wife
Jay Leno sat down with In Depth with Graham Bensinger and talked about the vows he and his wife took more than four decades ago.
“When you get married, you sort of take a vow: ‘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?'” he said. “No, I didn’t. I enjoy the time with my wife. I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV, and it’s okay.”
Jay Leno said dementia added a new layer to his relationship with Mavis, and he spends a lot of time taking care of his wife. He added that while dementia is heavy, he does his best to find humor. And while he’s made a career of being funny, sometimes things are serious.
“Well, 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,” he said. “It’s a challenge. And it’s not that I enjoy doing it, but I guess I enjoy doing it.”
Fans loved the way Jay Leno spoke of his devotion to his wife. One shared on YouTube, “What a good guy. I’ve never been a big fan of his comedy, but he’s clearly got his head on his shoulders and is a good human being. I respect the hell out of that.”
This story’s featured image is by Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage via Getty.
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