Jay Leno Addresses Rumors That His Recent Injuries Were from Getting Beat Up by the Mob

Mar. 15, 2025

Jay Leno in 2019.Photo:Paul Morigi/Getty

Paul Morigi/Getty

Jay Lenois setting the record straight about his recentstring of injuries.

“Well, I like the idea that they wouldn’t just take one of my cars for the gambling debt,” the New York-born comedian quickly quipped in reply. (Leno famously ownsnearly 200 cars, many of them rare collectibles worth multiple millions of dollars.)

Jay Leno (left) and Nigel Daly pose at BritWeek’s Luxury Car Rally in 2021.Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Leno then got serious, revealing that while he personally has no affiliation with the mob, he did have a run–in with a member of the Mafia when he was an up-and-coming comedian trying to catch his big break.

“I was pretty smart,” he told Maher. “I remember years ago, I was at [the East Coast-based comedy club] Catch a Rising Star, and I was onstage, and this guy — a mob guy — comes up to me afterwards and he goes, ‘Hey, you’re a funny kid. You’re a funny kid.’ ”

“He takes $100 and he puts it in my pocket,” he continued. ”I say, ‘Oh thank you.' I say, ‘Look, I don’t mean any disrespect, but, you know, give it to the church or something … I’m okay, but thank you.’ And he says to me, ‘You know, you’re a smart kid. You don’t take money from people like me. That’s smart.’ And nobody ever bothered me again.”

Leno then shared that while he personally never had any trouble, he used to see the mob “kick the crap out of comics left and right” for being “wise a——" onstage.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Leno also said that the rumors about the cause of his injuries are unfounded for the simple reason that he doesn’t like gambling. “I don’t gamble,” he insisted, adding, “Losing 100 bucks makes me feel stupider than winning one thousand makes me feel good. Because I go, ‘I could have taken my wife to dinner.' "

Jay Leno in November 2023.Monica Schipper/Getty

Monica Schipper/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In November, the former late-night host was spotted stepping out withsevere bruisingon his face, causing alarm among fans. At the time, Leno toldTMZthat the injuries were due to a fall down a steep hill, and he later toldInside Editionthat he broke his wrist, lost the nail on one of his fingers and bruised the entire left side of his body during the tumble. He had to wear an eye patch during his recovery.

The fall came one year after the USO Show alum experienced second- and third-degree burns on his face, chest and hands while working on one of his cars when a gasoline fire broke out. He underwent a series ofsurgical excision and grafting proceduresfor his injuries and spent 10 days in a recovery facility.

source: people.com