Tim Allen, Jay Leno

Tim Allen Gives an Update on Jay Leno’s Condition: ‘He’s Handsome and He’s Happy’

822 views

Tim Allen – The Home Improvement actor, 69, visited Leno after the former Tonight Show host suffered burns from a gasoline fire

The Grossman Burn Center is doing a “great job taking care of” Jay Leno, according to his friend Tim Allen.

The Toy Story star, 69, spoke with TMZ as he was leaving the medical clinic in West Hills, CA, and explained that things are looking good for Leno after he suffered “serious burns” in a garage gasoline fire.

“He’s feeling better,” Allen said in a clip. “He took his car magazines. We did some jokes, which is what we do. We commiserated.”

Tim Allen Gives an Update on Jay Leno's Condition

When asked what Leno’s face looks like following the accident, Allen joked that it “didn’t look all that good to begin with,” but clarified that he still looks “great.”

“He’s going for the George Clooney look, you’re gonna be surprised,” Allen joked. “He’s handsome and he’s happy and the hospital’s doing a great job taking care of him.”

The update from Allen comes less than a week after Leno, 72, was working on a steam engine underneath a car in his garage when a fire began. Leno was pulled from underneath the car, and is now recovering from “significant” burns to his face, chest and hand. Dr. Peter Grossman, medical director at the Grossman Burn Center, said Leno is in good condition after undergoing a surgical excision and grafting procedure for his burns.

“Some of the burns to the face are a little deeper and a little more concerning,” Grossman said during a press during the week. “… Currently, there’s no evidence of nerve damage. I do anticipate him making a full recovery. Whether they’ll be remnants of this injury, it’s still too early to tell. I’d say that his injuries are serious, his condition is good.”

Jay Leno poses for portrait at BritWeek's Luxury Car Rally Co-Hosted By The Petersen Automotive Museum at Petersen Automotive Museum on November 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
RODIN ECKENROTH/GETTY

On Monday, Leno spoke publicly for the first time since enduring the “serious medical emergency” last weekend. “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,” Leno said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”

Leno’s current treatment plan involves the surgical excision and grafting procedure, which removes unhealthy tissue in an effort to promote wound healing and reduce the risk of infection. Grossman said that with Leno’s burns, “much of the thickness of the skin was injured” in some areas, so unhealthy tissue was being removed.

Leno has also been undergoing “very aggressive” hyperbaric oxygen therapy at the medical clinic, which Grossman said should “increase the oxygenation to the plasma in the blood and so higher oxygen circulates within the body.”

“That helps the healing process, helps stimulate new blood vessel growth in areas that have been traumatized, it decreases the bacteria that normally surrounds the wound and it also decreases the pressure and the swelling inside the tissue,” Grossman said.

As his wife Mavis remains by Leno’s side, Grossman notes that Jay has been a “remarkable kind and engaging patient” on his road to recovery.

“He passed out cookies to children in the burn unit. Mr. Leno has been very open about sharing information with you,” he said. “… He’s Jay Leno — he’s walking around and cracking jokes. He’s incredibly kind to our nursing staff. He’s very compliant. He’s very appreciative of everyone here and really an ideal patient and one who understands the seriousness of his injury.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.