Jay Leno has initiated legal proceedings to establish a conservatorship over the financial holdings of his spouse, Mavis Leno, citing her ongoing struggle with dementia and an inability to devise a strategy for the distribution of her wealth.
In response to his wife’s dementia battle, Jay Leno is navigating the legal landscape to safeguard Mavis Leno’s monetary assets.
The former anchor of NBC’s Tonight Show has officially filed for conservatorship in a Los Angeles court, as disclosed in legal documents dated January 26, as reported by E! News. According to News, Leno’s legal petition seeks a substituted judgment to endorse estate planning and implement a testamentary strategy that aligns with what he believes would be his wife’s wishes if she were able to make such decisions.
Regrettably, the documents indicate, “Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years.” As her current state renders her incapable of executing the estate plan, Leno has petitioned the court to be appointed conservator of his wife’s estate. His sole objective is to file a petition for substituted judgment on her behalf, ensuring her desires regarding the disposition of her assets upon her demise are realized.
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Leno, at 73, and his spouse, aged 77, married for a remarkable 43 years, have chosen not to publicly discuss her health struggles. The comedian, who hosted “The Tonight Show” from 1992 to 2009 and then again from 2010 to 2014, frequently expressed affection for his wife on air. They have occasionally graced red carpets together, most recently in November when they attended the 60th-anniversary celebration of the Improv comedy club in Hollywood.
In recent years, Leno has faced his own health challenges. In late 2022, he sustained severe burns to his face, arms, and hands during a gasoline fire while repairing a clogged fuel line in his 1907 White Steam Car, part of his collection of vintage vehicles. Two months later, in January 2023, a motorcycle accident resulted in a broken collarbone, two ribs, and kneecaps.
Post-injury, the comedian underwent reconstructive surgeries and disclosed on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade in March 2023 that he now possesses “an all-new face” and a “brand-new ear.”