Jay Leno: Caring for My Wife Isn’t ‘Work’

Jay Leno opened up to People magazine about caring for his wife, Mavis, who is living with advanced dementia — and said he doesn’t view his devotion to her as “work.”

“It’s not work, because people come up and say they feel so sorry,” said Leno, 75. “I understand the sympathy, because I know a lot of people are going through it, but it’s OK. I like taking care of her. I enjoy her company, and we have a good time. We have fun with it, and it is what it is.”

The longtime comedian and former Tonight Show host said he feels fortunate to be able to help and refuses to dwell on hardship. “I’m not a woe-is-me person,” he said.

Leno explained that he structures his life around being home with Mavis every night, even when his work takes him across the country. “I went to Puerto Rico for the day, and the plane waited and I came right back,” he said. “That’s what I do. I try to be home every night.”

In April, a court granted Leno conservatorship of his wife’s affairs, with her attorney noting that Mavis is “receiving excellent care” from her husband. Mavis, 79, has been married to Leno since 1980.