Summary
- Jay Leno's wife is the reason he never had children.
- Mavis Leno made the decision to never get married or have children.
- Jay Leno proposed to Mavis without any romantic gestures, citing an insurance policy as the reason for getting married.
During the '90s, several popular talk show hosts rose to the top of the business. However, there was still no doubt that Jay Leno was the most successful talk show host of the era, since he even beat David Letterman's ratings most of the time.
Since Leno enjoyed so much success, NBC was so committed to the host that he became very rich even though he lives beneath his means. On the other hand, Leno's longtime romantic partner didn't want the commitment of marriage, and she decided never to have kids either.
Who Is Jay Leno's Wife And Why Doesn't She Want Kids?
During Jay Leno's time in the public eye, the comedian and talk show host has notably feuded with some of his peers. That fact aside, Leno has somehow managed to almost entirely keep his personal life out of the headlines. As a result, many of Leno's fans have no idea that Leno's wife appears to be the reason he never had any children.
Even though most fans know very little about Jay Leno's wife, it turns out that their relationship is fascinating. One perfect example of that is the fact that at one point there was every reason to believe the couple would never get married.
Before Jay Leno became the host of The Tonight Show, People published a profile about the comedian and his wife. For that piece, People interviewed Jay and Mavis Leno together. While speaking to the publication for that article, Mavis Leno explained why she once believed she would never get married.
“I always had this idea that I would never get married. It was a big thing with me, part of my vehement feminism. But with Jay, I began to realize that this was the first time I was ever with someone where I had a perfect, calm sense of having arrived at my destination.”
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During her People interview, Mavis cited feminism in general as the reason she didn't want to get married. However, Mavis Leno was a lot more specific about what led to her decision to never get married or have kids.
How long have Jay Leno and Mavis Leno been together, according to Who's Dated Who?
- Began dating in November 1978
- Got married on November 30th, 1980
- Been together ever since
In 2014, The Washington Post published a profile about Jay Leno. Similar to People, The Washington Post decided to speak to Mavis Leno for their piece. In the resulting article, the subject of why Jay and Mavis Leno don't have kids came up.
At first glance, it may seem sexist for anyone to claim that Mavis Leno is the reason why Jay Leno doesn't have kids. However, according to The Washington Post's article, Mavis Leno told them that she was the one who insisted that she and Jay never had kids. "She takes full credit for the couple’s decision not to have children."
On top of The Washington Post revealing that Mavis Leno didn't want to have kids or a husband, they were able to quote her reason for that decision.
As Mavis Leno explained to The Washington Post, she decided not to have kids or a husband when she was a child. While watching the classic sitcom, The Honeymooners, Mavis Leno couldn't stand how women were portrayed on the show.
Did Arsenio Hall Burn Jay Leno Before His Infamous Feud With Conan O'Brien Over The Tonight Show?
Jay Leno has famously feuded with several talk show hosts but most people have no idea Arsenio Hall called him out.
“I would see a young woman who was very attractive, and a thousand times smarter, and she’s living in this little tenement hovel with her husband, Ralph, and then this Ed Norton, who has an even hotter wife. These men spend all their time talking about what a drag the wives are and asking how can they get away from them. It’s perfectly obvious the women are the ones trapped.”
After explaining how she felt about the women she saw on television, Mavis Leno went on to describe how that made her feel. According to what Mavis Leno told The Washington Post, she vowed to never get married or have children when she was still very young.
According to what Sharon Osbourne revealed during an episode of The Talk, she once had a fling with Jay Leno. This happened before either of them were involved with their spouses, although Sharon Osbourne had already met her future husband Ozzy Osbourne.
“I remember telling my mother when I was 7 or 8 that I was never going to get married or have children. To me, this is the way women get caught.”
Mavis Leno Broke Her Pledge To Never Get Married For A Hilarious Reason
Knowing that Mavis Leno pledged to not have kids and never went back on that, the fact that she changed her mind about getting married is a big deal. With that in mind, fans may assume that Jay Leno went all out when he proposed to his wife.
One Tonight Show With Jay Leno Guest Lit Part Of The Set On Fire
When an infamous comedian and actor appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, they set part of the set on fire.
During People's aforementioned profile of Jay Leno from 1987, the interviewer asked about how he proposed. According to what Leno said at that time, he proposed on the spur of the moment without any romance.
“I think I said, ‘Honey, I’ve got this insurance plan….’ ”
Since Leno is a comedian, it may be tempting to assume he was joking with that comment. However, Leno has made that claim more than once. During a 2014 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Jay Leno elaborated on why insurance inspired his decision to propose.
When Jay Leno passes away, he will leave behind an incredible fortune and that doesn't include any potential life insurance policy he may have. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jay Leno has a $450 million fortune as of January 2024.
"But you know, I had this insurance policy, and I thought if something happened to me, my girlfriend wouldn't be covered, but if we're married, we're covered, so...we might as well get married. Not the most romantic. Mavis didn't even get an engagement ring until..."
