Jay Leno Says He Enjoys Caring for Spouse After Her Dementia Prognosis

Jay Leno, 74, says caring for his spouse, Mavis, after she was identified with dementia is simply a part of what love is all about.

Throughout an look on as we speak’s episode of “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” the previous late-night host spoke concerning the challenges he confronted being a caregiver to his spouse.

“Once I obtained married, you kind of take a vow: ‘Will I stay as much as this? Or will I be like a sleazy man if one thing occurs to my spouse, I am out banging the cashier on the mini-mart?'” Leno instructed podcast host Bensinger. “No, I did not. I benefit from the time with my spouse. I’m going residence, I prepare dinner dinner for her, watch TV, and it is OK.”

They nonetheless do lots of the issues they did earlier than, he stated. Solely now, he has to assist her with each day duties.

“However, I prefer it. I like caring for her. She’s a really impartial lady, so I like that I am wanted,” Leno stated.

The couple met within the ’70s at a comedy membership in Los Angeles and married in 1980. They don’t have any kids collectively.

Leno was granted conservatorship over his spouse’s property in 2024, based on courtroom paperwork.

“Effectively, that is the problem, is not it? When you need to feed somebody and alter them and carry them to the lavatory and do all that type of stuff daily,” Leno stated. “It is a problem. And it isn’t that I take pleasure in doing it, however I assume I take pleasure in doing it.”

On the finish of the day, it is a testomony to his dedication to her and their marriage vows.

“In some unspecified time in the future in my life, I will be known as upon to defend myself. I believe that is actually what defines a wedding. I imply, that is actually what love is. That is what you do. I imply, I am glad I did not lower and run. I am glad I did not run off with some lady half my age or any of that foolish nonsense. I might reasonably be along with her than doing one thing else,” Leno stated.

Leno is not the one superstar who has spoken concerning the expertise of being a caregiver to a liked one.

In a 2019 opinion piece for USA At the moment, Rob Lowe mirrored on the expertise of stepping up together with his brothers to care for his or her mom after she was identified with stage 4 breast most cancers.

“I typically felt overwhelmed, and that was even with all of the help I had from my brothers and colleagues,” Lowe wrote.

Emma Heming Willis has additionally been open about her journey caring for her husband, Bruce Willis, after he was identified with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.

“You understand, I’ve my moments. It simply relies upon. I am hanging in there and doing the most effective that I can. And, turning my ache into function,” Heming Willis stated in a 2023 Instagram Stay.

Because the inhabitants ages, increasingly more folks will probably need assistance with duties in some unspecified time in the future of their lifetime.

In line with the CDC, the variety of caregivers within the US elevated from 43.5 million in 2015 to about 53 million in 2020.

A consultant for Leno didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark despatched by Enterprise Insider exterior common hours.