Jay Leno files for conservatorship over wife Mavis' estate following her dementia diagnosis

Former late night host Jay Leno and wife Mavis have been married for 43 years

Jay Leno received a ‘brand-new ear’ after gas fire burned his face

Leno’s still recovering from last year’s gas fire and motorcycle accident.

Jay Leno petitioned a Los Angeles court Friday to be appointed conservator over his wife Mavis' estate, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

In the conservatorship filing, Leno wrote that Mavis "lacks the necessary capacity to execute the estate plan" due to her "major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)."

He described his "loving marriage for more than 43 years" with his wife but noted that he "has always handled the couple's finances," and he wanted to ensure that "Mavis has managed assets sufficient to provide for her care should Jay predecease Mavis."

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Jay Leno and wife Mavis hug at Malibu car show

Jay Leno filed a court order to be appointed conservator over wife Mavis' estate. (Charley Gallay)

Leno began the conservatorship process in November, according to legal documents. His representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

"The conservatorship estate will not be funded with any assets and is being established for the sole purpose of filing a petition for substituted judgment to ensure Mavis’s estate plan is established and that Mavis’s future care is provided for under the terms of a living trust," documents stated.

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"Jay is fully capable of continuing his support for Mavis’s physical and financial needs as he has throughout their marriage. Jay desires to execute an estate plan, including a revocable trust and will, which will provide for Mavis and Mavis’s brother and her sole living heir aside from Jay."

Jay Leno, Mavis Leno, Fortune Feimster at the Improv

Jay Leno and wife Mavis stepped out in November for the 60th anniversary of the Improv with Fortune Feimster. (Monica Schipper)

The order stated that Mavis "consents to the conservatorship of the estate" in addition to "Jay's appointment as her conservator, and that she would not prefer anyone else to be appointed in Jay's stead."

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A licensed physician declared Mavis "suffers from dementia, a major neurocognitive disorder."

Mavis first met Jay at the Comedy Store in the 1970s, and the rest was history. The couple married in 1980.

Jay Leno and wife Mavis walk Emmys red carpet

Jay and Mavis have been married for 43 years after first meeting at the Comedy Store in the 1970s. (NBC)

"I wasn’t very good at dating," Leno once told People magazine. "I don’t drink. I never have. I remember once Mavis wanted a drink, and I said, ‘Look, let me give you the money, and you can buy a blouse or something. I don’t want to buy you a drink.’ And so I gave her $35, and she bought a blouse."

The 73-year-old comedian suffered third-degree burns to his face and hands in addition to scarring on his chest when flames erupted while he was working underneath one of his vehicles at his Burbank garage in November 2022.

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Leno said in a statement to Fox News Digital shortly after the accident, "I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet."

Jay Leno smiles with nurses while leaving the Grossman Burn Center.

Jay Leno reveals the burns he suffered from a garage fire in November 2022 as he leaves the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills. (Grossman Burn Center)

Leno had at least two surgeries during his 10-day stay at the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills, one of which was a "surgical excision and grafting procedure." He also required the use of a hyperbaric chamber to help provide better blood flow and decrease bacteria.

Two months later, Leno was involved in a motorcycle accident in Lake Tahoe, where he broke multiple bones.

Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Authored by Tracy Wright via FoxNews January 27th 2024