Leno had initially filed the petition back in January, when he first disclosed that his wife is battling dementia.
Jay Leno has been granted conservatorship of the joint estate he shares with his wife, Mavis.
During a Tuesday hearing attended by Leno via Zoom, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny agreed that a conservatorship of the joint estate is necessary and she agreed it's "suitable." Leno will continue to manage the community property and finances as he always has, as he and his wife share everything.
Leno, who wore a white button down shirt and suit jacket, was quiet and somber during the hearing. He said very little, but he was polite when speaking with the judge, who was the same judge who oversaw Brittney Spears' estate battle.
Both the court and attorneys agreed that no conservatorship of Mavis is needed in this instance, only for the joint estate. Ronald Ostrin, Mavis' attorney, also appeared via Zoom and said Mavis is "receiving excellent care with Mr. Leno." He added, "She is very blessed. [H]aving had a mother of my own with dementia, Mrs. Leno is living in the least restrictive environment and being very well taken care of. They have a good plan of strategy."
Penny agreed that "everything seems totally appropriate for the care" of Leno's wife. She told the legendary late-night TV host, "I know this is a hard time when this needs to happen, and I thank you," to which Leno politely replied with, "Thank you, your honor."
The hearing comes on the heels of Mavis' attorney detailing in court documents that her neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, claimed that the philanthropist "sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth." According to Dr. Cohen -- a top neurologist at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles -- Mavis often has "a lot of disorientation" and "ruminates about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago."
Ostrin states that he "received and reviewed substantial medical records" supporting the statements made by the physician.
It was back in January when Leno first disclosed in court documents that Mavis, his wife of more than four decades, is battling dementia. In his bid for conservatorship, the court docs stated that "Mavis has been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years" and that "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."
The filing also stated Mavis, 77, was being treated for "dementia and mood disorder."
It's unclear when Mavis was diagnosed with dementia, but a doctor's report from November 2023 -- and attached to the petition -- stated that Mavis has suffered with impairments to her memory, ability to concentrate and use of reason.
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