Jay Leno is getting ready for his farewell performance as the host of late-night television after decades in the spotlight.
The 74-year-old auto enthusiast, whose passion for cars nearly claimed his life twice, is making end-of-life arrangements and leaving a sizeable donation to a museum dedicated to the subject.
See what the comic has planned by reading on!
Jay Leno began a web series about cars on nbc.com from 2015 to 2022, following his successful career as a late-night talk show host.
With over 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube, Jay Leno’s Garage enables the comedian to share his love of motorcycles and cars with his audience.
The former Tonight Show host suffered severe burns in November 2022 after a fire broke out in his Burbank, California, garage.
“I was in a gasoline fire and got some serious burns.” At the time, Leno said to Variety, “I am OK.” I only need a week or two to recover.
The now-74-year-old man was reportedly working beneath a car when the fire broke out. He lost his first ear to the fire, receiving third-degree burns to his face and a new left ear.
Regretfully, he didn’t have any better luck.
In a motorcycle accident that happened just two months after the fire, he broke his collarbone, cracked two ribs, and cracked two kneecaps.
“Shows Mavis no respect”
Age, passion-related mishaps, high cholesterol, and physical deterioration are all part of his life, but his love for Mavis, whom he married in 1980, endures.
“I always advise guys to marry their conscience when they first meet a woman. It works out when you marry the person you wish you could be. People hears Leno talk about his unwavering love for Mavis, who is now 77.
The childless couple began to experience some difficulties after 45 years of marriage.
Mavis has been identified as having dementia, and her health is deteriorating quickly.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge declared that Leno’s conservatorship over his wife’s inheritance was “necessary and appropriate” in April 2024.
Entertainment Tonight was able to get court documents that stated that “for several years, Mavis has been gradually losing capacity and orientation to space and time.”
According to the lawsuit, Mavis’s “current condition renders her incapable of executing the estate plan,” while Jay is “fully capable of continuing to support for Mavis’ physical and financial needs, as he has throughout their marriage.”
Jay Leno granted conservatorship over wife Mavis after dementia diagnosis https://t.co/SXoK8WepSk pic.twitter.com/wY4gLkLfaz
— Page Six (@PageSix) April 10, 2024
A declaration from her neurologist, Dr. Cohen, is included in the documents. It reads, in part, that “[Mavis] does not always know her date of birth or her husband, Jay.”
Cohen, Mavis’ attending doctor at Cedars Sinai, adds that Leno “loves his wife very much” and “treats [Mavis] like gold.”
‘No one lives forever’
Only months later, In Touch says that Leno is already preparing for his own death, making end-of-life arrangements so his fortunes are transferred to the correct beneficiaries.
The complaint reads: “No one lives forever, and the actions taken by Mr. Leno are reasonable and necessary for his and Mavis’ protection. Mavis does not object to the petition and in my opinion consents to it. Mr. Leno is her protector, and she trusts him. This estate planning is in her best interest and protects her interests.”
Leno’s latest filing contains provisions for Mavis’ care and says that the pair intends to stay in their home “for as long as reasonably possible,” utilizing their money for “assistance from household employees or caregivers as may be necessary.”
If Leno dies first, “the estate will divide into the Leno Marital Trust…it will have the Leno Collection and any real property housing Leno Collection. It will be irreversible, and the survivor receives all income, plus principle for appropriate support. After the survivor’s death, after-tax balance will be given, together with the Leno Trust to JDM.”
The Leno Collection is Leno’s collection of automobiles and motorcycles, that’s valued at more than $52 million, and any real property.
Leno also gave the JDM Foundation, a nonprofit he founded in 1988, instructions to establish a museum showcasing his car collection, and he has already appointed the first three directors.
Leno is also leaving $7 million to his nephew Richard Leno and Mavis’s brother Rikki Nicholson, who lives next door.
Leno’s trust revisions are expected to be accepted, according to the official assigned by the court.
It’s difficult to picture life without Jay Leno! Kindly share this tale with others and let us know what you think so that we can offer Leno and Mavis our warmest regards!