Comedian Jay Leno filed for guardianship of the estate of his wife of 43 years, Mavis Leno, in California on Friday after she was diagnosed with dementia, according to court documents.
The petition, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by Entertainment Tonight, states that Mavis, 77, “has progressively lost her ability and orientation in space and time for several years” and her “current Condition is deteriorating.” She is unable to carry out the estate plan.
The court documents state that Leno has “always taken care of the couple's finances” throughout the marriage, and he is trying to set up a trust for their joint estate that would “ensure Mavis has sufficient assets to to ensure her care” should he die before her.
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Leno's estate plan also includes Mavis' brother, who is “her only living heir besides Jay.” The couple has no children.
Jay Leno and Mavis Leno attend the private unveiling of the Meyers Manx electric car at Little Beach House Malibu on August 8, 2022 in Malibu, California. Getty Images
It is unclear when she was first diagnosed. A doctor's report dated Nov. 28, 2023, included in court documents describes Mavis' dementia diagnosis and her symptoms. The doctor wrote: “In my professional opinion, Mavis is unable to meaningfully participate in the hearing on the application for the appointment of a conservator of the estate due to her condition, nor would she understand what nature, force or effect the hearing should have if it were.” she would take part.”
The doctor also checked a box in the report that said Mavis was “unable to give informed consent to any form of medical treatment.”
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for April 9. Entertainment Tonight has reached out to Leno for comment. CBS News has reached out to Leo's representative for comment.
Mavis Leno was a longtime board member of the nonprofit Feminist Majority Foundation, a national women's rights organization, and chair of the group's Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls.
The 73-year-old Leno himself has had several health problems in recent years. In November 2022, the former host of “The Tonight Show” suffered severe burns from a gasoline fire while working in his classic car garage in Burbank. Then, just two months later, he broke several bones in a motorcycle accident.
Leno hosted “The Tonight Show” from 1992 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2014, after a brief break in between with comedian Conan O'Brien, who was controversially fired due to poor ratings.
In an interview with “60 Minutes” in 2014, on the eve of Leno's second exit from the series, Mavis defended her husband.
“It made me angry because I felt like Jay had decided to quit the show for some reason,” Mavis told “60 Minutes.” “It was like he gave Conan the show and then took it back. That didn’t happen, okay?”
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