Jay Leno was seen for the first time since he was hospitalized for burn-related injuries on Monday, November 21. He posed with hospital staff for photos, which you can see here (via Page Six), and showed some of his injuries. The former Tonight Show host, 72, appeared to be on the mend, after what was surely a frightening experience.
Jay smiled with the staff, and he seemed like he’d made a big recovery from the accident. Some redness was seen on his face, as well as a few burns on his hands, but he looked like he was doing very well. “After a 10-day stay at the facility, Jay will receive follow-up care at the Grossman Outpatient Burn Clinic for burns to his face, chest and hands he received during a fire at his home garage,” Jay’s doctor said in a statement.
They continued and said that the comedian seemed like he was grateful for the support. “Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes,” they said. “He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.”
The photos come a week after Jay canceled a series of public appearances due to the burns. The comedian was rushed to a hospital after a fire broke out on a car, which burned his face. Jay revealed that he was working on one of his many classic cars when a fuel leak sprayed him with gasoline, and then he caught fire when a spark lit, in an interview with TMZ. He said his friend jumped on him to put out the flames and saved his life. He expects to be hospitalized for 5 to 10 days.
The car that Jay said he was working on was a 1907 White Steam Car, which has been featured on his comedy show Jay Leno’s Garage, which also shows off his love for classic automobiles. He debuted the over 100-year-old vehicle on the show almost 10 years ago.
Luckily, the burns didn’t affect Jay’s eyes or ears, and he seemed like he was on the mend in a statement to DailyMail. “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet,” he said.
George Swift, who has worked for Jay for 15 years also promised that his boss and friend would recover quickly in an interview with Access Hollywood. “He’s a tough guy. He’s going to be fine. There’s nothing life-threatening. He’s in great spirits, but it’s going to take a while,” he said, before describing how the accident happened. “He called me, and he told me there was a fire, and the fire department’s coming.”
Since the accident CNBC, which airs his show Jay Leno’s Garage shared their best-wishes for the comedian to make a speedy recovery in an Instagram post. “The CNBC family wishes Jay well in his recovery,” they wrote in a post.
It was reported that Jay was hospitalized, after an email was sent out to conference attendees at one of the places that the comedian was set to perform, per People. “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,” the note said. “All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.”