Jay Leno’s wife ‘sometimes does not know her husband,’ doctors confirm in conservatorship filing
There are times when Jay Leno’s wife, Mavis, who suffers from dementia, “does not know her husband” or other key details about her life, doctors confirmed amid the comedian’s filing for conservatorship.
Mavis Elizabeth Leno, 77, suffers from an “advanced” and worsening form of dementia, which includes “a lot of disorientation,” wrote Ronald Ostrin, citing neurologist Dr. Hart Cohen, in new court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight.
Ostrin, Mavis Leno’s court-appointed legal counsel, noted she “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth,” and she “ruminates about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago,” per Cohen, who works at Los Angeles’ Cedars Sinai.
Ostrin’s statements come after he “received and reviewed substantial medical records” supporting Cohen’s claims.
The former “Tonight Show” host, 73, filed for conservatorship of his wife of more than 40 years in late January, according to court records obtained then by TMZ. At the time, it was reported that Mavis has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. It is characterized by a decline in thinking, behavior, social skills and one’s ability to function.
“Unfortunately, Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years,” read the petition for the conservatorship, NBC News reported at the time.
Leno “loves his wife very much” and treats her “like gold,” as Cohen told Ostrin, per the new filing, noting that the Emmy winner tried to delay the issue of a conservatorship “out of respect to her.” It’s unclear when Mavis was first diagnosed.
Unlike other conservatorships that enable the appointed party to manage the concerned party, Leno is only looking to gain conservatorship over Mavis’ estate in the event that something happens to him.
Vouching for Leno’s character, Ostrin recommended the court approve the estate conservatorship, noting he wants to “provide the least disturbance to Ms. Leno’s lifestyle and to preserve her dignity and ensure her safety,” according to ET.
