Jay Leno has filed for conservatorship over his wife, Mavis, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, according to reports.
The 73-year-old TV icon - best known for being the host of NBC's The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2009 - filed legal documents on Friday (January 26) to become conservator of Mavis's estate, TMZ reported.
Conservatorship is a "legal status where a court assigns a person to look after a minor's or incapacitated person's personal and financial affairs," as cited by Investopedia.
An insider disclosed to the outlet that Leno's 77-year-old wife was reportedly diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. This type of dementia heavily affects one's memory, thinking, and behavior. Its symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks, per ALZ.
The couple have been married for over four decades, tying the knot back in 1980. They do not share any children.
During a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the stand-up comic quipped that the secret to a long-lasting marriage is to wed a "normal" person before giving a more sincere response.
"I said always marry your conscience," he explained. "Marry the person you wish you could be, who is kind, and maybe whatever fault you have, doesn’t haven’t those faults. That’s worked out for me, so to me, I married the perfect person."
The conservatorship news comes after Leno was involved in an accident in November 2022, while working on one of his classic cars, when a fuel leak and a simultaneous spark in his 1907 White Steam Car triggered an explosion.
The comedian was taken to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles where he was put in a hyperbaric chamber and underwent skin graft surgery for burns on his face, chest, and hands.
Leno spoke about the shocking incident with Piers Morgan and said that initially, he drove to the hospital and then decided to go home "to let his wife know" about the gasoline fire.
"Then I went to bed, and when I woke up, the pillow was melted to my face," he added.
Shortly after, Leno was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him with several broken bones.
Speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the talk show host revealed that he was knocked off his motorcycle on January 17 in an incident that left him with a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, and two cracked kneecaps.
"So I turned down a side street and cut through a parking lot, and unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it," Leno recalled. "So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clotheslines me and, boom, knocked me off the bike."
He emphasized that he was "ok" and explained that he wasn't as open about the second accident as he didn't want to provoke more media attention.
"You know, after getting burned up, you get that one for free. After that, you’re Harrison Ford, crashing airplanes. You just want to keep your head down," he concluded, laughing.
