Jay Leno was scheduled to perform at the Financial Brand Forum 2022 in Las Vegas last night, but was forced to cancel shortly before his appearance, due to a “very serious medical emergency.”
An email sent out to ticket buyers and obtained by People, ended with, “All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.”
Now, TMZ is reporting the former Tonight Show host, 72, was the victim of a car fire, leaving his face partially burned.
Leno was reportedly in his Los Angeles garage, where he stores his collection of classic autos when one of the cars burst into flames. The comedian was taken to the burn ward at Grossman Burn Center where he remains. “Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the flames burned the left side of Jay’s face, but thankfully did not penetrate his eye or his ear,” the story continues.
REELated:
Leno confirmed the news to Variety in a statement. “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
Leno succeeded Johnny Carson as the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, which he originally hosted from 1992 to 2009. Leno left the gig to start his own NBC primetime talk show, The Jay Leno Show, with Conan O’Brien stepping in as the new host of The Tonight Show.
After subpar ratings, NBC made a questionable decision to reinstate Leno as host in March 2010 until he retired again in 2014. SNL’s Jimmy Fallon replaced him.
People was the first to report the story.
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