Originally appeared on E! Online
Jay Leno is taking legal steps to protect his wife Mavis Leno's financial assets amid her battle with dementia.
The former host of NBC's Tonight Show has filed for a conservatorship of his wife's estate in a Los Angeles court. He submitted the papers, which reveal her medical condition, on Jan. 26, according to legal records obtained by E! News. According to NBC News, the TV personality's petition seeks a substituted judgment to approve estate planning and implement a testamentary plan that he believes his wife would execute if she were capable.
"Unfortunately, Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years," the documents state, per the outlet. "As Mavis's current condition renders her incapable of executing the estate plan, Leno has petitioned the Court to be appointed conservator of his wife's estate for the sole purpose of filing a petition for substituted judgment on her behalf in order to ensure her desires concerning the disposition of her assets upon her death are realized."
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Leno, 73, and his wife, 77, who have been married for 43 years, have never spoken publicly about her health battle. The comedian had often affectionately mentioned his wife on "The Tonight Show," which he hosted between 1992 and 2009 and then again between 2010 and 2014. She has also occasionally accompanied him to red-carpet events, most recently last November, when they attended the Improv comedy club's 60th anniversary show in Hollywood.
According to NBC News, Leno stated in the petition that he believes his wife consents to him being appointed conservatorship of her estate. Records show a follow-up court hearing has been set for April 9.
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He has also battled health issues in recent years. In late 2022, he suffered serious burns to his face, arms and hands in a gasoline fire that erupted in his garage while he was working to repair a clogged fuel line in his 1907 White Steam Car, one of his collectible vintage vehicles. Two months later, in January 2023, he got into a motorcycle accident, breaking his collarbone, two ribs and his kneecaps.
Following his injuries, the comedian underwent reconstructive surgeries and in March 2023, he said on Dana Carvey and David Spade's podcast "Fly on the Wall" that he received "an all-new face" and "brand-new ear."
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