After leaving behind his successful career as the host of late-night talk shows, Jay Leno launched a web series on nbc.com (2015 to 2022) about cars.
Jay Leno’s Garage, now appearing to more than 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube, allows the comedian to share his passion for cars and bikes with his audience.
In November 2022, the former Tonight Show host was badly burned when a fire broke out in his Burbank, California garage.
“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire.” Leno told Variety at the time “I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
According to reports, the now 74-year-old man was working under a car when the fire sparked. He suffered third degree burns on his face and got a new left ear after losing his first one to the fire.
Unfortunately, his luck didn’t get any better.
Only two months after the fire, he suffered a broken collarbone, two cracked ribs and two cracked kneecaps in a motorcycle accident.
‘Treats Mavis like gold’
Despite his body breaking down with aging, passion-related accidents and high cholesterol, the one thing that holds strong in his life is his love for Mavis, who he married in 1980.
“I always tell guys when they meet a woman, ‘Marry your conscience. Marry someone who’s the person you wish you could be and it works out okay.” Leno tells People of his enduring love with Mavis, now 77.
After 45 years together, the childless couple started facing some hardships.
Mavis was diagnosed with dementia and her condition is rapidly declining.
In April 2024, Leno was granted a conservatorship over his wife’s estate by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge who ruled the measure was “necessary and appropriate.”
According to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight, “Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years.”
The filing also says and “Jay is fully capable of continuing support for Mavis’ physical and financial needs, as he has throughout their marriage,” but her “current condition renders her incapable of executing the estate plan.”
Included in the documents is a statement from her neurologist Dr. Cohen: “Sometimes [Mavis] does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.”
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 reports that Leno is now preparing for his own death, making end-of-life arrangements so his fortunes are delivered to the rightful beneficiaries.
The filing 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 details provisions for Mavis’ care and discloses that the couple intends to stay in their home “for as long as reasonably possible,” using 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 irrevocable, and the survivor receives all income, plus principal for reasonable support. After the survivor’s death, after-tax balance will be distributed, along 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 instructed the JDM Foundation, a charity he launched in 1988, to open a museum with his automobile collection, and he’s already named the three initial directors.
In addition, Leno is leaving $7 million to Mavis’ brother Rikki Nicholson, who lives next door, and to his nephew Richard Leno.
The court-appointed official said Leno’s amendments to the trust will likely be approved.
It’s hard to imagine a world without Jay Leno! Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can send Leno and Mavis a lot of love!
This boy lost his famous dad at 16 – now, he’s a proud gay man and father
The esteemed American actor Michael Landon passed away at the age of 54, leaving behind a legacy marked by his iconic roles in Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and Highway to Heaven.
Despite his storied Hollywood career, Landon always placed his family at the forefront of his life.
He was a father to nine children and had the joy of meeting some of his grandchildren before his untimely death.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Landon faced his illness with remarkable bravery. He dedicated himself to various treatments, including chemotherapy and natural remedies, and adopted a largely vegetarian diet in hopes of recovery. Tragically, he succumbed to the disease just three months after his diagnosis.
By Father’s Day in 1990, the severity of his condition was unmistakable. On June 16, Landon confided in his wife, Cindy, that he was nearing the end. She witnessed his struggle firsthand that day as he tried to move around the house with the aid of an oxygen tank.
As the end approached, a nurse warned Landon’s family that his death was imminent, prompting Cindy to ensure that all of Landon’s children had the opportunity to say their goodbyes. Each of his children, with their individual personalities and life paths, faced the loss in their unique ways.
Christopher, one of his sons, was only sixteen when Landon passed away. A year later, Christopher opened up about his grief and the impact of losing his father at such a young age.
Christopher recalled the day he learned of his father’s terminal illness and his emotional state before receiving the devastating news. He had been feeling upbeat after acing an English exam, only to be informed later by his sisters about their father’s diagnosis. Reflecting on the moment he received the news, Christopher said (via People): “I could feel every nerve in my body like it was all made up.”
Seven months after his father’s death, Christopher began to talk about his grief more openly. His mother, stepmother, and siblings shared in this process of healing. Christopher regretted not being able to apologize to his father for the hardships he endured. Michael’s final words to Cindy were simply, “I love you.”
Christopher noted the shift in his perception of death since his father’s passing: “Before, when I used to think about death, I’d say, ‘I don’t want to die at all!’ But now I’d say the worst that’s going to happen is that I’ll see Dad again,” per People.
In the wake of his father’s death, Christopher vowed to live life to its fullest and to honor his father’s memory by living authentically. At 24, this commitment meant coming out about his sexuality.
Despite the fame of his father and the challenges of high school, Christopher grappled with his identity and feared judgment. He once worried that his coming out might negatively impact his father’s wholesome image, thinking: “For a while, I thought an article about me would come out with the headline ‘Little House on the Fairy’ or ‘Highway to Hell.’”
Seven months after his father’s death, Christopher began to talk about his grief more openly. His mother, stepmother, and siblings shared in this process of healing. Christopher regretted not being able to apologize to his father for the hardships he endured. Michael’s final words to Cindy were simply, “I love you.”
Christopher noted the shift in his perception of death since his father’s passing: “Before, when I used to think about death, I’d say, ‘I don’t want to die at all!’ But now I’d say the worst that’s going to happen is that I’ll see Dad again,” per People.
In the wake of his father’s death, Christopher vowed to live life to its fullest and to honor his father’s memory by living authentically. At 24, this commitment meant coming out about his sexuality.
Despite the fame of his father and the challenges of high school, Christopher grappled with his identity and feared judgment. He once worried that his coming out might negatively impact his father’s wholesome image, thinking: “For a while, I thought an article about me would come out with the headline ‘Little House on the Fairy’ or ‘Highway to Hell.’”
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