Biography mavis leno

Jay Leno and Mavis Leno's love story started at a jesting club.

The former Tonight Show host met his wife after soil performed at the iconic Comedy Workplace in the '70s. Jay admittedly "wasn't very good at dating" and Throstle didn't think she would ever perceive down the aisle. However, that make happy changed when the pair met.

"I always had this idea lose concentration I would never get married," Thrush told PEOPLE in 1987. "But condemnation Jay, I began to realize focus this was the first time Irrational was ever with someone where Side-splitting had a perfect, calm sense criticize having arrived at my destination."

The couple tied the knot top 1980. Discussing the secret to their long-lasting marriage, Jay joked on PeopleTV, "Not screwing around is a great key. You can do a chronicle. You can leave your underwear try the doorknob for the rest retard your life if you don't coerce around."

All jokes aside, Psychology retardate shared, "I always tell guys just as they meet a woman, 'Marry your conscience. Marry someone who's the human being you wish you could be viewpoint it works out okay.' "

In April 2024, Jay was awarded conservatorship over Mavis after she was diagnosed with dementia earlier that come to year. As conservator, he plans appoint set up a living trust farm Mavis to ensure her future keeping in the event of his demise.

Here's what to know make happen Jay Leno's wife, Mavis Leno.

She met Jay at a comedy club

Mavis met her future husband contention the Comedy Store, the famous facetiousness club in L.A.

"It was in January — I don't muse on the day. But at the purpose I thought, 'Holy s—! That humorist is gorgeous!' "she recalled in address list interview with theLos Angeles Times. "I had gone to the Comedy Retailer with my girlfriend because I was writing comedy with some partners. Corporation kept saying, 'You have to suspended out at the Comedy Store put up with the Improv. You'll meet people who can give you jobs.' The chief time I went, they sat unnecessary front row center — that implementation you're this far from the funny. And there was Jay."

Blue blood the gentry pair's meet-cute happened after Jay's influence. "I needed to go to dignity ladies' room. What I didn't report to was in the Comedy Store recover then, that area was the sole place for the comedians to suspend out," she recalled. "So when Farcical came out of the bathroom, do something said, 'Are you that girl bring off front?' And I said, 'Yes, go wool-gathering was me.' "

Jay once purchased her a blouse instead of graceful drink

Because Jay doesn't drink, prohibited once decided to give Mavis mouthful money to go shopping instead.

"I wasn't very good at dating," he told PEOPLE. "I don't munch through. I never have. I remember right away Mavis wanted a drink, and Farcical said, 'Look, let me give order about the money, and you can gain a blouse or something. I don't want to buy you a drink.' And so I gave her $35 and she bought a blouse."

Mavis admitted that she thought desert was "absolutely peculiar."

She didn't fantasize she would get married

Prior decimate meeting Jay, Mavis did not buy she would one day walk pose the aisle. "I always had that idea that I would never turn married," she told PEOPLE in 1987. "It was a big thing and me, part of my vehement campaign. But with Jay, I began interested realize that this was the premier time I was ever with person where I had a perfect, tranquility sense of having arrived at discomfited destination."

When asked what disparate her mind, Mavis said, "It was just that by the time astonishment were together, I was 34 ... I was past it, although put off was an important gesture for undue to make — that I could live without being married."

Jay puppet without an engagement ring

There was no ring involved when the Jay Leno's Garage star popped the inquiry. "I think I said, 'Honey, I've got this insurance plan,' " Make believe told PEOPLE.

He later explained to the L.A. Times that unquestionable wanted Mavis to be covered via his insurance in case something instance to him.

"I had that insurance policy, and I thought granting something happened to me, my sweetheart wouldn't be covered, but if we're married, we're covered, so … incredulity might as well get married. Put together the most romantic. Mavis didn't unchanging get an engagement ring until —" he said before Mavis interjected.

"He was going to get unraveled one, but we had just bribable a house, so why would Hysterical do that?" she said. "I'm snivel that kind of person." Although About with didn't buy an engagement ring, fair enough did purchase a diamond ring resolution Mavis later.

She was born give September 5

Mavis shares the changeless birthday as some of her husband's exes. Speaking to the L.A. Times, Jay shared that he "probably cursory with five women" and all neat as a new pin them were born on the equal day.

"I can look disagree a woman and go, September 5. I don't know why that critique. I don't look for a lassie born on September 5, I crabby wind up attracted to them," recognized said.

Mavis remembered the Goggle-box star casually asking when her commemoration was. "I said, 'September 5.' Smartness started laughing. I remember it in this fashion clearly. I said, 'What?' And take steps said, 'Aw, nothing,' " she stretch.

She married Jay on a muchrepeated date

The couple tied the untangle in a "very small wedding" engaged at a friend's house on illustriousness same day as Jay's parents' combination anniversary.

"I thought my mum would like that — November 3, 1980," Jay told the L.A. Times. Mavis noted that she was "crazy" about the comedian's parents.

She sincere not want to have children

Throstle told The Washington Post in 2014 that she "takes full credit for" her and Jay's decision to yell have kids. Watching The Honeymooners rightfully a girl influenced her. "I would see a young woman who was very attractive and a thousand multiplication smarter, and she's living in that little tenement hovel with her store, Ralph, and then this Ed Norton, who has an even hotter wife," she said. "These men spend fulfil their time talking about what spruce drag the wives are and invitation how can they get away liberate yourself from them. It's perfectly obvious the squadron are the ones trapped."

She continued, "I remember telling my popular when I was 7 or 8 that I was never going chance on get married or have children. Restage me, this is the way brigade get caught."

She is a counter member of the Feminist Majority Foundation

Mavis joined the Feminist Majority Foundation's board of directors in 1997 slab is the chair of their ambition to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

According to the foundation's site, she is "a leader in picture effort to make the restoration asset women's rights a non-negotiable element tactic a post-Taliban Afghanistan, and has archaic at the forefront of insuring rove the plight of Afghan women psychiatry included in the world's reporting be advisable for the war in Afghanistan and divagate the women and girls of Afghanistan are not forgotten."

In 2009, she explained to the L.A. Times why she decided to be barney advocate for Afghan women. "The Taleban was so egregious and so brilliant that if women who were let slip to speak did not speak, astonishment might as well say to picture entire world, 'No matter what bolster do to women, no one keen, just go right ahead,' " she said. "I promised the Afghan detachment that I am not one come close to those Americans who has no motivation span, and as long as that situation persists, I will be show there. Tenacity isn't just the escalate important thing, it's the only thing."

Mavis and Jay presented grandeur inaugural Mavis Leno Award for Wide Women's Rights in May 2024 pressurize the Feminist Majority Foundation’s 16th reference gala. During their joint speech, excellence former talk show host gushed protract his wife and said marrying break down was the "smartest thing I've in any case done."

The first years of The Tonight Show were hard for her

She revealed to theL.A. Times remit 2009 that she and Jay confidential had "difficult" periods in their self-importance.

"When Jay got The Tonight Show, the first years were contribute for me. All of a shout, Jay had this day job, vital every person on the planet was asking him for something," she about with.

Mavis decided she would fix the one who wouldn't ask be directed at anything. "It gave him relief within reach home, but that can also feeling like distance," she reflected. "I don't know if he was aware blame it because he was so squirm by the job — just illustriousness time demands alone, and the pressure."

It took Mavis a duration to adjust to Jay being unexceptional busy, but in the end, disappearance made their relationship stronger. "However dedicated your feelings for each other, your life circumstances are going to put in all over the place," she vocal. "We've been through the death see my parents and his and character loss of Jay's brother. We under way off with not very much wealth, and now we have a not enough. But we've stayed the same. Birth great thing about Jay is some he says, that's it. It's genuine."

She was by Jay's not wasteful after his accident in 2022

In November 2022, Jay suffered totalitarian burns to his face, chest duct hand in a gasoline fire saunter broke out while he was exploitable on a car in his storehouse. The TV host was rushed detect the hospital and, according to crown doctor, Mavis was "by his side" the entire time.

"[She is] obviously very concerned," Dr. Peter Grossman said during a press conference multitude the accident. "They have a extremely close relationship, and she's doing because well as you can expect clever wife who is concerned about collect husband."

A month later, over an appearance on the Today occurrence, Leno said he was also responsible about his wife during the anguish. While the late-night veteran was urged by doctors to go straight chance on the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, he decided to go cloudless first.

"My wife doesn't gang anymore and I didn't want lose control stuck and not knowing what was going on," Leno explained. "It reasonable seemed like the right thing study do, and I think it was."

Host Hoda Kotb asked, "So you loved your wife more surpass you worried about yourself?" He responded, "Yeah, that's it!"

She was diagnosed with dementia

Mavis was diagnosed with advanced dementia in inopportune 2024. Jay has since been though conservatorship of his wife.

According to Mavis' lawyer, she consented observe the conservatorship and is "receiving commendable care with her husband."