It's been nearly two years since Jay Leno suffered back-to-back injuries that left him needing extensive cosmetic reconstructing. And while honoring his surgeon earlier this week, the 74-year-old gave an update as to how he's doing now.
In November 2022, Leno was working on one of his classic cars when gasoline spilled onto his face, which then became ignited by a pilot light. As a result, he suffered second and severe second-degree burns to his face, chest, hands, and left arm. Then, just months later in January 2023, the former Tonight Show host sustained multiple broken bones and additional injuries to his face when he was clothes-lined by a chain while riding an antique motorcycle.
Leno was presenting Dr. Peter Grossman, who treated his injuries, with an Outstanding Achievement in Medicine Award at the 2024 Daytime Beauty Awards, where he spoke with E! News about his recovery.
"It's good. Things are good. I can't complain," Leno said on the red carpet, explaining that he's been on the road. "I just write jokes, tell jokes, get checked. Very simple process."
"I've been very lucky. I've been married to the same woman 45 years," he gushed of his wife Mavis. He noted the secret to their long-lasting union: "Don't screw around—pretty simple."
Speaking about the future, Leno that he hopes his "next chapter" doesn't include his "next accident." Though, despite the extent of his injures, he recalled that his recovery was just nine days. "I missed two days of work, so it was not bad," he continued. "Better than the face I had, so I'll take it."
Before presenting Grossman with the award, Leno told the crowd onstage how he didn't go straight to the burn center when he "got a face full of gasoline and caught on fire." Referring to his wife's Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he said that he decided to spend the night at home and return the next day because she didn't know where he was.
"I drive home, I see my wife and I go to sleep, not realizing this is still burning," he explained. "When I wake up, I can’t get the pillow off my face. So, I’m sitting there with scissors trying to cut the pillow off. So, Dr. Grossman took the pillow off my face."
Leno also talked about having to go back to Grossman after his motorcycle accident that left him with a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, and two cracked kneecaps in addition to the injuries to his face.
"I’m riding my motorcycle and a guy had a wire across the road, and boom, it tore my face," he continued. "I called Dr. Grossman and I said, ‘Listen, I need another face. The other face you got was great, but I just need another.'"
"So I guess I am officially a two-faced bastard now," he added.
