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Comedian Jay Leno is taking his wedding vows seriously.
Leno candidly opened up about honoring the promises he made more than 40 years ago as his wife, Mavis, battles advanced dementia.
“The idea that you get married and take these vows — nobody ever thinks they’ll be called on to act on them, you know?” Leno said on the “Today” show.
JAY LENO TRIES TO FIND THE HUMOR DURING WIFE’S DEMENTIA BATTLE
The former “Tonight Show” host shared that Mavis “really needs” him now. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
“You know that part, ‘for better or worse.’ But even the ‘worse’ is not that bad.”
The former “Tonight Show” host shared that Mavis has become increasingly dependent on him — something he accepts without hesitation.
“That’s part of it, because now she really needs me, and I like that. And I can tell that she appreciates it,” he said.
Leno has even brought humor and joy into the most vulnerable moments with his longtime wife, saying laughter remains a special part of their marriage.
“You know, when I’m carrying her — you know, carry her, like, to the bathroom, we do this and I call it Jay and Mavis at the prom, you know, in high school, you know. So, we’re just, like, back and forth. And she thinks that’s funny.”
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The couple has been married for 45 years. (Nina Zacuto)
Leno, 75, has been married to Mavis, 79, since 1980, and the couple never had children.
He also recalled what first drew him to Mavis: the peaceful ease of being together.
“I enjoy her company. If I’m working on a car, she’ll sit with a book and read. It was, and still is, very comfortable. Before she had this, I’d come home, she’d cook dinner for us, and we’d watch TV … now we can’t really talk about a lot of things,” he explained.
Leno said their conversations look very different now — quieter, shorter exchanges shaped by the challenges of Mavis’ dementia, often revolving around helping her feel safe in the moment.
Leno and Mavis first met at the stand-up comedy club The Comedy Store in Los Angeles in the 1970s. (NBC)
He shared that the simplest questions can surface again and again as her mind works to make sense of her surroundings.
“She’ll point to something and say, ‘What’s that?’ and say something that doesn’t quite make sense … She wants to be reassured that everything’s OK.’” Leno described one of the most painful patterns of her dementia — a grief that returns as if it’s brand new.
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“Probably the toughest part was, every day she’d wake up and realize someone had called today to tell her her mother had passed away.”
In January 2024, Leno filed for conservatorship over Mavis’ estate, stating she “lacks the necessary capacity to execute the estate plan” due to “major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia),” according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
In January 2024, the former “Tonight Show” host filed for conservatorship over Mavis’ estate. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Mavis is not only the wife of a television legend — she built a legacy of her own, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2002 for her advocacy supporting Afghan women living under Taliban rule.
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While the couple navigates Mavis’ health challenges, she still finds ways to reach her husband in the most meaningful way.
When asked how she shows love now, Leno replied, “Well, by saying it.” He said he can still read her joy instantly: “I can see the smile. I can tell when she’s happy. And when she looks at me and smiles and says she loves me, I melt.”
Leno and Mavis first met at the stand-up comedy club The Comedy Store in Los Angeles in the 1970s.
Fox News Digital reached out to Leno for comment.