Jay Leno gave an emotional update on his wife, Mavis, revealing how they get through the days when she is ‘a little down’ amid her battle with dementia. 

The TV personality, 74 – who was recently seen bruise-free following his fall down a hill – told People in an article published on Thursday that he tries to ‘find the humor’ and ‘have fun’ despite her condition. 

Last year in April, the former Tonight Show host was granted conservatorship of Mavis after a court filing revealed that she ‘sometimes does not’ recognize him and does not remember her own birth date. 

While promoting his latest project, Midas Man, Leno expressed to the outlet that he still aims to find ‘your moments where you can have a laugh and have fun. You try to find the humor in this situation.’ 

‘I took my wife shopping, I can see she’s a little down, [so I said], “Come on, we’ll go to the mall.”‘

Jay further recalled, ‘So we go to Nordstrom’s and I said, “You see anything you like?” “No, no.” So we look at the shoes, and [she says], “Oh, I like these sneakers.”‘ 

Jay Leno, 74, gave a moving update on his wife, Mavis, one year after it was revealed she was diagnosed with dementia; seen earlier this month in West Hollywood 

The star explained that Mavis spotted a pair of ‘bright blue sneakers’ and he told her to find a second pair of shoes that she also liked. 

She soon came across red and white-colored sneakers inside the mall. ‘So I see she’s happy, and I said “This is great.” So I got two pairs of sneakers, and [the cashier says] “That’s $24. And the other pair, that’s $847.”‘ 

‘I go, “No, I only had two pairs of sneakers. I thought these were $24.” [The cashier] goes, “Yeah, these are $24. But the other ones were [designer sneakers].”‘

Leno added, ‘It looked like the guy took a pair of the same sneakers and used a bedazzler on them, and they were $800. I look at my wife and said, “You like these?” I go, “Honey, you look great.”‘  

Jay then told People, ‘It’s fine, I’m glad I can afford this and it made my wife happy. It just made me laugh. Just typical. I thought the $24 pair looked better than those, but that’s okay.’

‘It just made me laugh, and I think when you’re dealing with this kind of thing, you find your moments where you can have a laugh and have fun, and my wife really likes them and felt good about it.’ 

Leno jokingly expressed, ‘So the fact that it was the same pair of sneakers that got hit with a bedazzler, I guess that’s fine. But it just made me laugh, and that’s pretty much what it is.’ 

Back in January of last year, it was revealed that his wife Mavis was diagnosed with ‘advanced dementia,’ although it is not known when she received the health diagnosis. 

Last year in April, the former Tonight Show host was granted conservatorship of Mavis after a court filing revealed that she ‘sometimes does not’ recognize him; seen in April 2024 in L.A. 

‘It just made me laugh, and I think when you’re dealing with this kind of thing, you find your moments where you can have a laugh and have fun, and my wife really likes them and felt good about it,’ he said; seen in 1989 in Westwood 

And in April 2024, Leno was granted conservatorship of his wife – whom he tied the knot with in 1980. 

Later that same month, Mavis herself gave an update on her condition as she accompanied her husband to the premiere of Unfrosted in Los Angeles. 

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During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she positively stated, ‘I feel great, yeah!’ 

Jay then added, ‘Thought I’d come to something fun for a change. Everything is so controversial. Just to come to a funny, silly movie – it’s great. I think people will have a great time.’

‘Well, we hang out every day. We have a great time. 44 years! So we’re doing good,’ the TV personality also shared. 

At the time, Leno had just turned 74 but admitted to the outlet that he was not a ‘big birthday guy.’ 

Mavis also cut in to say while leaning her head on her husband, ‘Neither of us [are]! We just have each other.’ 

The following month, Leno became emotional as he got candid about caring for his wife as the pair attended the Feminist Majority Foundation’s 16th Annual Global Women’s Rights Awards & Gala. 

‘Well, we hang out every day. We have a great time. 44 years! So we’re doing good,’ the TV personality also shared; seen in 2023 in El Segundo 

He told Fox News, ‘We’ve been married 44 years. It gets easier. It doesn’t get harder. We do everything together. I go home every night, make dinner and sit around. We enjoy each other’s company.’

The couple also stepped to the stage during the ceremony and Jay sweetly gushed that marrying Mavis was ‘the smartest thing I’ve ever done.’

‘We have a lot of fun. People say marriage is difficult. I don’t get it. I enjoy her company. I enjoy taking care of her. We have fun.’ 

‘She’s the most independent woman I ever knew. Again, I just couldn’t be prouder of her,’ Leno added of the philanthropist. ‘I am part of her legacy and that’s what I’m proudest of.’

And in July of last year, Jay and Mavis were spotted together enjoying a drive through Los Angeles.   

The couple also stepped to the stage during the ceremony and Jay sweetly gushed that marrying Mavis was ‘the smartest thing I’ve ever done’; seen in 2023 in L.A. 

Leno has also been recovering after suffering from a nasty fall down a 60ft hill a few months earlier in November 2024

Leno has also been recovering after suffering from a nasty fall down a 60ft hill a few months earlier in November 2024. 

The accident resulted in the former talk show host getting a large bruise on the left side of his face, a black eye and also a broken wrist. 

Back in January 2023, Jay was involved in a motorcycle accident where he was ‘clotheslined’ and got a number of injuries, such as a broken collarbone and two broken ribs. 

Only a few months before the crash, Jay suffered a previous devastating accident when a steam engine from a vintage car he had been working on exploded in his face.