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Margaret Cho got emotional while recalling an interaction that she witnessed between Jay Leno and his wife Mavis, who has been diagnosed with dementia
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She described the moment when she saw him quietly calming her nerves while at a comedy club as an instance of true love
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Mavis was diagnosed with dementia in 2024, and a conservatorship was established over her that April
Margaret Cho witnessed true “love” while watching an interaction between Jay Leno and his wife Mavis, who has been diagnosed with dementia.
The Fire Island actress and comedian took to TikTok on Wednesday, April 30, to share a touching story about seeing the Lenos while she and Jay were performing at a comedy club.
“We were in the green room, and I had my dog. Mavis wanted to say hi to my dog, so I brought my dog over, and Jay was leaning down and just kind of whispering in her ear,” she recalled. “Kind of just saying things like, ‘Oh, do you want to say hi to the dog?’ Understanding that she had some difficulty with what was going on in the room and a little bit of confusion.”
She continued, saying, “He was getting ahead of it by really quietly leaning over and just explaining to her what was happening.”
Related: Jay Leno Tears Up as He Speaks About Wife Mavis amid Her Dementia Diagnosis: ‘I Couldn’t Be Prouder of Her’
Michael Tullberg/Getty
Jay Leno and Mavis Leno, August 2022
Cho got emotional and teared up as she shared her insight on the moment.
“The romance of that… That’s love,” she noted. “We always see these big, grand expressions of love on social media where people are taking you on these whirlwind vacations and going on a yacht or going to Paris or whatever. It’s like all this s—.”
Cho said that what she witnessed between Jay and Mavis felt more authentic. “That’s love. I’m sure it could be so easy to put somebody who has dementia in a facility or put them at home when you can just go out,” she said. “But he’s bringing her around, and whenever she’s having a moment, he just leans down and explains what’s going on. To me, that’s romance. May that love find me. How beautiful.”
She concluded by describing Jay: “What a man.”
Margaret Cho/TikTok
Margaret Cho
Jay and Mavis have been married since 1980. Their relationship evolved in a new way in January 2024, when the comedian filed for conservatorship for his wife after she was diagnosed with “advanced dementia.”
His request was granted in April 2024. According to documents at the time, the purpose of the conservatorship was to ensure that a living trust was established for Mavis to ensure that she would have “managed assets” for continued care if Jay were to die before her.
In court documents filed in late March by Mavis’ court-appointed counsel Ronald Ostrin, it was alleged that she “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.”
Ostrin noted that Mavis “consents” to the conservatorship, adding that she viewed Jay as “her protector.” He described their relationship as being “long-term, loving and supportive.”
In May 2024, Jay said that he “just couldn’t be prouder” of his wife while speaking at the the Feminist Majority Foundation’s 16th Annual Global Women’s Rights Awards Gala. He added that he and Mavis “have a lot of fun.”
“People say marriage is difficult. I don’t get it. I enjoy her company. I enjoy taking care of her. We have fun. She’s the most independent woman I ever knew,” he continued.
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Related: Jay Leno and Wife Mavis Share Smiles at Unfrosted Red Carpet Premiere amid Her Dementia Diagnosis
Speaking to PEOPLE in January 2025, Jay said that he tries “to find humor in this situation.”
And he stressed the importance of the “vow” you take when you get married while speaking on In Depth with Graham Bensinger in April.
“It’s basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things,” he said about his relationship with Mavis. “But, I like it. I like taking care of her. She’s a very independent woman, so I like that I’m needed.”
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