Jay Leno Comforts Dementia-Stricken Wife on Rare Day Out: 'I Enjoy Taking Care of Her'

Jay Leno shared a touching moment with his wife amid her battle with dementia .

Knewz.com can reveal the comedian and former late-night host was seen holding hands with Mavis Leno, who was diagnosed with “advanced dementia”.

In the rare sighting of the couple – who have been married for 44 years – Jay, 74, was spotted hand-in-hand with Mavis, 77, as they left a comedy show.

Jay was dressed in a navy blue suit and patterned white button-down. His beloved wife wore a floral blouse, blank pants and blue sneakers.

He tightly gripped her hand as they left the stand-up show in Los Angeles , California.

The rare sighting comes after a difficult year for the couple, who have endured back-to-back health crises.

After classic car-enthusiast Jay was seriously injured and suffered extensive burns in a November 2022 garage fire , tragedy struck again when he revealed Mavis had been diagnosed with “advanced dementia” the following year.

The diagnosis led the former Tonight Show host to file for conservatorship of Mavis in January 2023. In his petition, Jay stated his wife has “been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years”.

A court -appointed lawyer recommended approving the comedian’s request in April, stating Mavis “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.”

The conservatorship was granted the same month. Since then, the couple have rarely been seen out in public.

Concern for Mavis’ deteriorating condition heightened during her last public outing in July, when she was seen with a black eye.

The 77-year-old sat in the passenger seat of her husband’s car. It was unclear how she suffered the injury prior to the outing.

Shortly before the July sighting, an emotional Jay spoke about his love for his wife and their marriage at the Feminist Majority Foundation’s 16th Annual Global Women’s Rights Awards Gala , where he presented an award in Mavis’ name in May.

With his wife in the audience, Jay told the crowd marrying his beloved was the “smartest thing I’ve ever done”.

He recalled meeting Mavis for the first time and thinking “this is going to be a fascinating relationship ” adding, “And it has been”.

Jay continued: “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.”

Earlier in the evening, Jay told reporters he and his wife “do everything together” and marriage “gets easier” rather than “harder” with time, adding: “I go home every night, make dinner and sit around. We enjoy each other’s company.”

Jay and Mavis have been married since 1980 and share no children together.