Dementia leaves Jay Leno's wife Mavis sometimes unable to recognize him, neurologist says

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Jay Leno's 77-year-old wife's advanced Alzheimer's disease sometimes leaves her unaware of her birthdate or who her husband is, according to a new report by the woman's court appointed counsel.

Note: The video in the media player above is from a previous report.

Leno, 73, filed a petition for conservatorship of the estate of Mavis Leno in Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 26. On Thursday, Mavis Leno's lawyer, Ronald Ostrin, filed a report with the court, saying he supports a conservatorship and that Mavis Leno does as well.

Ostrin says that according to Mavis Leno's neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, Mavis not only sometimes does not know her husband or her birthdate, but also has "a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed (including) her mother who died about 20 years ago."

Cohen was hired for consultation after Mavis Leno had a car accident in 2018 and has been following her mental condition since, according to Ostrin.

"I received and reviewed substantial medical records which supported Dr. Cohen's opinion," Ostrin says.

Cohen says the comedian "loves his wife very much and waited to bring this matter out of respect to her. He said that Mr. Leno was a nice man and treats Mavis like gold," according to Ostrin.

Ostrin further says that he visited the Leno home in Beverly Hills on Feb. 13 and found Mavis Leno to be a "a delightful person, and although it was clear she had cognitive impairment, she still has a charming personality and could communicate."

Mavis Leno appeared happy and also "expressed a desire to vote and told me a little about her philanthropic work. She reposed great faith and confidence in Mr. Leno and relied on him for her protection and guidance," according to Ostrin.

"However, no one lives forever, and the actions taken by Mr. Leno are necessary for his and Mavis' protection," according to Ostrin, who also said Jay Leno appears to be "a standup guy and his private persona matches the public persona he projects."

Ostrin says Jay Leno only seeks a conservatorship over his wife's estate at this time and not a separate one over her person.

The couple married in 1980. Mavis Leno is a philanthropist and feminist who keeps a low profile compared to her comedian husband, a former host of "The Tonight Show."

Mavis Leno previously was a persistent critic of the Taliban's treatment of women in Afghanistan.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 9.