Jay Leno's Wife Mavis Does Not Recognize Him Amid Her Dementia Battle, Says Lawyer
More details into Mavis Leno's battle with dementia have come to light.
Two months after Jay Leno filed paperwork seeking to establish a conservatorship over his wife's estate, Mavis' court-appointed counsel Ronald Ostrin shared an update into her condition. In court documents obtained by E! News on April 1, Ronald said she "sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth."
Noting that Mavis has been diagnosed with "advanced dementia," the attorney wrote in the filing, "She has a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago."
However, Ronald said that although "it was clear she had cognitive impairment, she still has a charming personality and could communicate."
His filing recommended that Jay—who has been taking care of Mavis at their Los Angeles home—be appointed as the conservator of her estate for planning purposes. As the document noted, the comedian is not requesting to have conservatorship over Mavis' person, and is only seeking to oversee her estate so that "if something happened to Mr. Leno, a petition for conservatorship of the person would promptly be filed according to the plans to be made under the estate planning to have a conservator of the person to be appointed promptly."
"After research and investigation, Mr. and Ms. Leno have a long-term, loving and supportive relationship," Ronald stated in the document. "However, no one lives forever, and the actions taken by Mr. Leno are necessary for his and Mavis' protection. Estate planning is something that most everyone needs, but by the time you need it, if you don't have it, it is too late to get it."
The attorney added that Mavis "does not object to the petition nor as to Mr. Leno acting as her conservator."
"She consents to it and wants that," Ronald wrote. "Mr. Leno is her protector and she trusts him."
In January, Jay—who has been married to Mavis since 1980—shared that his longtime partner has been "doing well" amid her diagnosis.
"She's fine, everybody's good," the 73-year-old told the paparazzi in video published by the Daily Mail. "I just set up a will, in case something happens."
E! News has reached out to Jay's rep for comment but hasn't heard back.
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