Jay Leno's wife 'sometimes does not know' him amid dementia battle

Jay Leno's wife sometimes does not recognize him amid her battle with "advanced" dementia, her court-appointed counsel said in a new filing.

The former "Tonight Show" host, 73, in January filed to be appointed conservator of his wife Mavis Leno's estate because she "has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years." Her court-appointed counsel, Ronald Ostrin, shared more information about her condition in documents filed in California and obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.

"According to her neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, (Mavis Leno) has advanced dementia, (and) sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth," the filing states. "She has a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago."

Jay and Mavis Leno, 77, have been married since 1980, and they met at the Comedy Store in the 1970s. They do not have any children.

The filing says that Dr. Hart Cohen has been following Mavis Leno since she was in a car accident in 2018. "According to Dr. Cohen, Mr. Leno loves his wife very much, and waited to bring this matter out of respect to her," Ostrin writes. "He said that Mr. Leno was 'such a nice man and treats (Mavis) like gold.'"

Ostrin also says he interviewed Mavis Leno in February and concluded that "although it was clear she had cognitive impairment, she still has a charming personality and could communicate." During this time, she "reposed great faith and confidence in" her husband.

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Leno is only seeking a conservatorship over his wife's estate, not over her person, the filing points out. The comedian previously said he was doing so to ensure that her estate plan is executed properly, as she "presently lacks the necessary capacity."

In the new filing, Ostrin recommends that the conservatorship petition be approved, concluding that Jay Leno's actions are "necessary" for his and Mavis' protection.

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"Mavis does not object to the petition nor as to Mr. Leno acting as her conservator of her estate," the filing says. "She consents to it and wants that. Mr. Leno is her protector and she trusts him."

The attorney adds, "Based on my interaction with Mr. Leno, plus some research I have done, he seems to be a standup guy and his private persona matches the public persona he projects."

A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 9.

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Contributing Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY