Jay Leno's Wife Mavis 'Sometimes Does Not' Recognize Him amid Dementia Diagnosis as Lawyer Recommends Conservatorship

A new filing from Mavis Leno's court-appointed counsel, obtained by PEOPLE, provides an update on her condition three months after Jay Leno filed for conservatorship

The health of Jay Leno’s wife, Mavis Leno, is continuing to decline following her dementia diagnosis.

In January, Jay, 73, filed for conservatorship for his 77-year-old wife as he revealed that she had been diagnosed with “advanced dementia,” according to documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time. His motive behind the petition was to set up a living trust for Mavis to ensure that she has "managed assets" to provide her with future care if he died.

Last week, Mavis’ court-appointed counsel, Ronald Ostrin, filed a new report related to the conservatorship petition that provided an update on her health, revealing that she “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth,” according to the filing obtained by PEOPLE.

Mavis, who Jay has been married to since 1980, “has a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago,” according to the report.

However, Ostrin described her as a “delightful person” with a “charming personality,” despite the fact that it “was clear she had cognitive impairment.”

Comedian Jay Leno (L) and wife Mavis Leno attend an exclusive presentation of HBO's "Billy Crystal 700 Sundays" at the Ray Kurtzman Theater on April 17, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
Jay Leno and his wife Mavis Leno at a presentation of HBO's "Billy Crystal 700 Sundays" in Los Angeles on April 17, 2014.

David Livingston/Getty

The report also speaks to the nature of the couple’s relationship, which Ostrin described as “long-term, loving and supportive,” as Mavis sees Jay as “her protector and she trusts him.”

In regards to the conservatorship filing, Ostrin notes that Mavis “does not object” but rather “consents to it,” and thus Ostrin formally recommended the approval of Jay’s petition as conservator of his wife’s estate.

Per the documents, the petition was also supported by Mavis’ neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, who said Jay is “such a nice man and treats [Mavis] like gold.” Ostrin described the former Tonight Show host as “a standup guy” whose “private persona matches the public persona he projects.”

Mavis Leno (L) and MC Jay Leno during the 26th Anniversary Carousel Of Hope Ball presented by Mercedes-Benz at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 20, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.
Mavis and Jay Leno at the 26th Anniversary Carousel Of Hope Ball in 2012.

Christopher Polk/Getty

If Jay's petition is granted, he will be "responsible for making all decisions based on the scope that the court gives him," David DuFault, a principal attorney at Sodoma Law, previously told PEOPLE.

"Generally, courts like to be as least restrictive as possible," DuFault said. "I would guess that given her age, given the idea that there is or appears to be a dementia diagnosis, it could be a very broadly-crafted order that says that the petitioner has authority to make all kinds of decisions for her, which could be dealing with financial assets, selling real property, making decisions about beneficiary designations."

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He also noted, though, that "there can be scrutiny by the court because usually, there is an ongoing obligation to disclose what has happened."

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