EXCLUSIVE: Jay Leno's Emotional Confession — Iconic TV Host Reveals Wife Relives Her Mother's Death 'Every Day' Amid Advanced Dementia
Jay Leno has revealed his wife relives her mother's death every day while facing advanced dementia.
Jan. 13 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
The toughest part of being a caretaker?
For Jay Leno, it was watching wife Mavis – who has advanced dementia – relive the memory of losing her late mom over and over again, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Jay Leno's Heartbreak
Speaking on 'Today,' Jay Leno said wife, Mavis, relives the loss of her mother daily as she battles advanced dementia.
"Her mother died every day for, like, three years," the former late-night host, 75, said on the Today show on November 20.
"Not just crying, I mean, you're learning for the first time. And that was really tricky."
Married for 45 years, Leno became the 79-year-old's conservator in 2024.
"She wants to be reassured that everything's OK," he shared. "She really needs me."
Facing Ups and Downs Together
Married for 45 years, Mavis relies on Leno for reassurance after he became her conservator in 2024.
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Since her diagnosis, the late-night host has experienced many fluctuations in her condition.
Leno said of his wife: "Her appetite’s really come back. I wish I could take her out and go out to eat and things like that, but you can’t really.
"We’ll get some help, and we’ll take her out in the car and drive around and look at stuff. She likes that. I feel bad. You reach this point in your life where she loves to travel, and I’m sad she can’t do those things."
