Leno: People Are ‘Stunned’ That I’m Honoring Marriage Vows
Jay Leno says the most surprising reaction he’s faced in Hollywood isn’t about his wife’s dementia diagnosis—it’s about his decision to remain by her side.
Speaking on Maria Shriver’s Life Above the Noise podcast, the 75-year-old comedian opened up about his marriage to Mavis Leno, 79, who was diagnosed with advanced dementia two years ago. Leno said many people seem genuinely shocked that he’s honoring the vows the couple made when they married in 1980.
“You take a vow when you get married, and people are stunned,” Leno said. “They’re so shocked that you would actually live up to it.”
He recalled what he described as a very Hollywood-style conversation, in which someone asked if he planned to start dating now. Leno said he responded that he already has a girlfriend—his wife of 45 years. When the person pressed him further, Leno said he made his stance clear: “No, we’re kind of in this together.”
According to Leno, what was once considered basic commitment now strikes some as unusual. “That used to be the norm,” he said. “Now, staying and doing what you’re supposed to do is stunning to people.”
In April 2024, Leno was granted conservatorship over Mavis. He described this period as the first truly difficult chapter of their marriage after decades of what he called “easy sailing.” Still, he said his role at home hasn’t changed much—especially when it comes to making his wife laugh.
Getting Mavis to smile, he said, remains one of his top priorities. Leno shared a late-night moment when she woke him around 2 a.m. to say she loved him. “I told her, ‘You’re having a nightmare—go back to bed,’” he said. She found the response hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing.
“For me, that’s what matters,” Leno said. “I got a laugh out of her.”
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