Jay Leno And Wife Enjoy Date Night After News Of Dementia Diagnosis
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Tuesday was a special one for Jay Leno and wife Mavis Leno, who enjoyed their evening at the Los Angeles premiere of “Unfrosted.”
It was a rare outing for the married couple of four decades, marking their first public appearance following the news that Mavis Leno has been living with dementia.
The comic and the philanthropist both seemed in good spirits as they spoke to Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier on the red carpet.
“I feel great,” Mavis Leno told Frazier.
The premiere of the Jerry Seinfeld-directed movie was the perfect opportunity for some entertainment, according to Jay Leno.
“Thought I’d come to something fun for a change,” he joked. “Everything is so controversial. Just to come to a funny, silly movie ― it’s great. I think people will have a great time.”
The Lenos’ night on the town comes as the couple are privately handling Mavis Leno’s health struggles.
In January, Jay Leno filed for a conservatorship of their joint estate, citing his wife’s cognitive decline. His request was granted in April.
“Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years,” the court filing read, noting how her “current condition renders her incapable of executing the estate plan.”
Court documents also cited Mavis Leno’s neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, who found that she “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.”
Outings can be an important tool for patients like Mavis Leno.
Experts on Alzheimer’s and dementia say that staying social is key for fending off symptoms like depression and preventing a faster cognitive decline, according to the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford.
But they also tell caregivers to be aware of the kind of environments they’re walking into, noting that busy or loud settings can be overstimulating, disorienting or stressful for people with dementia.
