Jay Leno Files for Conservatorship Over Wife Mavis’ Estate After Dementia Diagnosis

Jay Leno has filed for custody of his longtime wife Mavis, who he says has been diagnosed with dementia.

Former Tonight’s show host filed the complaint on Friday, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. He stated in the paperwork that he had set up the guardianship to set up a living trust for Mavis to ensure that she would “manage assets” to provide for her future care should he die.

In the filing, first obtained by TMZ, Leno said Mavis does not contest the appointment of a conservatorship and does not prefer another person to act as conservator. Leno also asked the judge that Mavis not attend the conservatorship court hearing because it would be “detrimental to her mental and physical health.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, dementia reduces a person’s ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with daily activities.

Representatives of Len did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Jay Leno (right) and wife Mavis Leno at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Sunset Tower on February 26, 2012 in West Hollywood, California. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Who is Jay Leno’s wife? All about Mavis Leno

This is the first time that Leno addressed his wife’s health.

Mavis was with the former late show host as he recovered from second and third degree burn injuries following a gasoline fire in 2022. He was working on a steam engine under a car in his garage when the fire broke out.

dr. Peter Grossman, a plastic surgeon and physician at the Grossman Burn Center and West Hills Hospital where Leno was treated, said Mavis was “obviously very worried” as Leno recovered.

“She’s with him,” Grossman said. “They have a very close relationship, and she is doing well as you would expect from a wife who is worried about her husband.”

Jay Len’s doctor says wife Mavis ‘obviously very worried’ as she recovers from severe burns

During an appearance on December 14, 2022 at Today show, Leno said he was also worried about his wife during the ordeal. While the late-night veteran was urged by doctors to go straight to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, he decided to go home first.

“My wife doesn’t drive anymore and I didn’t want her to be stuck and not know what’s going on,” Leno explained. “It just seemed like the right thing to do and I think it was.”

Host Hoda Kotb asked, “So you loved your wife more than you cared for yourself?” to which he replied, “Yes, that’s it!”

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The comedian first met his wife after performing at the iconic Comedy Store in the ’70s and married in 1980. Leno previously joked with PEOPLE about the secret to their long-lasting marriage, saying, “Not messing around is a big key. You can do a lot. You can leave your underwear on the doorknob for the rest of your life if you don’t screw up.”

Joking aside, Jay shared, “I always tell guys when they meet a woman, ‘Marry your conscience. Marry someone who is the person you want to be and everything will be fine.'”

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Source: HIS Education