The legendary former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno was forced to cancel an appearance in Las Vegas, Nevada over the weekend after he suffered from a “serious medical emergency.”
Jay Leno hospitalized. Freak car fire left him “serious” facial burns. His vehicle burst into flames. His family was not able to provide many details, but it's a serious emergency preventing Jay from traveling, we do know he is alive & my prayers go out to him & his family. pic.twitter.com/BnRO4V7WkF
— Julie Wendele (@JulieWendele) November 14, 2022
Leno Injured In ‘Gasoline Fire’
“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,” Leno, 72, told Variety. “I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
Fox News reported that Leno had been set to perform at a financial summit on Sunday.
“His family was not able to provide us very many details, but there was a very serious medical emergency that is preventing Jay from traveling,” read a statement that was sent out to attendees. “All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.”
Leno was reportedly rushed to the Grossman Burn Center after the fire, according to Daily Mail. Though initial reports stated that the fire broke out in Leno’s garage at his home in Burbank, California, Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott told Fox News, “We are not aware of any response matching that description.”
Jay Leno Seriously Burned in Car Fire! He was in the L.A. garage where he stores his cars on Sunday when one of the cars erupted into flames without warning pic.twitter.com/TNb4rBKcLl
— No Jumper (@nojumper) November 14, 2022
Related: Jay Leno Seemingly Defends Cancel Culture – ‘You Either Change With The Times Or You Die’
Leno’s Health Issues
The former “Tonight Show” host has previously been open about his health struggles, specifically about his battle with high cholesterol, which he’s used to encourage others to change their lifestyles.
“We really want people to see the connection, because a lot of people don’t realize high cholesterol — and if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, you’re increasing your risk for another one,” he said back in 2019. “It’s like an earthquake, it might not destroy the house, but it certainly weakens the structure.”
“There’s a lot of people walking around like that, they’re just time bombs. You’ve got all this cholesterol, you don’t realize it until it actually hits, you know?” Leno added at the time. “It’s like in a car, if even one piece of dirt gets in the eye of the needle of the jet, and boom and no more gas comes through. And that’s what happens with your heart.
Did you hear about this? Jay Leno suffered severe burns after his car caught on fire? Turns out Jay is a Tesla man. pic.twitter.com/wJftDAmz1l
— Elaine Benes Gesserit (@notdylm) November 14, 2022
Related: Jay Leno Apologizes For Making Anti-Asian Jokes In The Past – ‘A Legitimate Wrong’
‘I Don’t Run Five Miles A Day’
Leno has also admitted to using a portable EKG device that monitors his heart rhythm and detects irregular heartbeats.
“I’m not one of those guys. I don’t run five miles a day and do all that kind of stuff,” he once confessed. “Hopefully I’m appealing to people who think like me, which is probably the majority of the population, who would like to do more but not if it sounds like kind of a pain. But this is not a pain, it’s really simple. You go to the doctor, it’s a quick visit, he can tell you what you need to do.
Leno has long been incredibly passionate about cars, even working as a mechanic while trying to make it as a standup comedian in his younger days. He now owns more than 150 unique vehicles, and hosts his own reality show that is called “Jay Leno’s Garbage.”
Getting injuries in a fire can be extremely serious, so we cannot imagine what Leno may be going through right now. Please join us in saying a prayer for him during this difficult time.
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