COUPLESJay Leno Slams the Idea of Having a 'Girlfriend' While Caring for Dementia-Stricken Wife Mavis: 'You Take a Vow'
Mavis Leno's dementia diagnosis was publicly revealed in 2024.
Jan. 14 2026, Published 6:27 p.m. ET
Jay Leno was downright shocked when he was recently asked an inappropriate question about being wife Mavis Leno's caretaker amid her dementia battle.
While appearing on Life Above the Noise With Maria Shriver, he revealed that someone once inquired if he's interested in dating other people.
Jay Leno Is Keeping His Vow to Wife Mavis
Jay Leno talked about caring for his wife, Mavis, who was diagnosed with dementia.
"My favorite thing was — this is the most Hollywood thing. A guy said to me, ‘So, are you gonna get a girlfriend now?’" the 75-year-old recalled.
"'Well no, I have a girlfriend. I’m married. Married 45 years,''" he said he told the man.
When the person noted, "'Yeah, but you know what I mean,'" the former talk show host responded, "'No, we’re kinda in this together here.'"
"You take a vow when you get married and people are stunned. They’re so shocked that you live up to it," Jay noted of tying the knot in 1980. "Why?"
The comedian would never think of dating another woman just because of his spouse's health woes.
The stand-up comic thinks society's views on lasting love and infidelity have changed.
"That used to be the norm, and then when you strayed that was the out of whack part," he shared. "Now the out of whack part is fairly common, and staying and doing what you’re supposed to do is stunning to people."
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Jay Leno Still Loves to Make His Wife Laugh
The 'Tonight Show' alum said he still tries to make his wife laugh every day.
One thing that has never shifted is Jay's determination to keep his spouse, 79, giggling.
"The other night we’re lying in bed, and Mavis says — it’s like 2 o’clock — she goes, ‘Honey I love you.' I said, ‘You’re having a nightmare, go back to bed,’" he quipped. "She thought that was the funniest thing, she just couldn’t stop laughing. And to me that’s what’s fun. ‘Oh, I got a laugh out of her.’"
Jay Leno Says Caring for His Wife Gives Him a 'Purpose'
The comedian revealed that his spouse isn't in 'any pain or suffering.'
In a 2025 interview, Jay insisted that he "enjoys" his life the way it is despite Mavis' diagnosis.
"My wife's got some problems, so it's just her and I. But it's always been her and I for the last 45 years anyway, so it's fine," he spilled. "It's fun."
"People think, ‘Oh, it must be horrible.’ No, because she's not in any pain. She's not suffering," the star explained. "It's not like a tumor or cancer. It's just a confusion that comes with Alzheimer's and dementia. And that's okay."
"I enjoy being her rock. It makes you feel wanted," the Emmy winner admitted. "You got a purpose now. So it's good."
Jay was appointed as Mavis' conservator due to her condition.
