Comedian and former The Tonight Show host Jay Leno made news recently when a car fire left him dealing with serious injuries, which he confirmed came from a gasoline fire. Leno is expected to need a week or two of recovery before getting back on his feet, and now he has indeed been released from the Grossman Burn Center. Although the burns were serious, his pal and fellow comedian Tim Allen had some lighthearted comments while Leno was still in the hospital.
After a visit with Jay Leno at the Burn Center, Tim Allen shared some comments with TMZ that not only indicated that the former Tonight Show host was doing well, but they were already joking about it. After revealing that they shared some jokes and connected as friends, Allen told the outlet:
His face looks great. It didn't look all that good to begin with! No, he's going with the George Clooney look. You're gonna be surprised. He's handsome and he's happy and the hospital's done a great job taking care of him.
Jay Leno going into the hospital looking like himself and coming out looking like George Clooney would certainly be a twist! After cracking the joke, Tim Allen – a TV veteran himself with starring roles in Home Improvement, Last Man Standing, and the recently-released Santa Clauses for Disney+ to his name – confirmed that his friend is getting great care and is in good enough spirits.
Now, just days after Allen's comments were reported on November 17, THR reports that Leno has been released from the Grossman Burn Center. He's not entirely finished healing aftercare that involved high-pressure oxygen therapy and surgery but will be able to move to the Grossman Outpatient Burn Clinic for some follow-up care.
In a statement, Dr. Peter Grossman stated that he is "optimistic that he will make a full recovery," and a news release from the Burn Center shed some more light on Leno's state of mind:
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. He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.
Jay Leno himself has not yet released a statement at the time of writing, but being able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his friends and family is a good sign, especially after the optimism seemed more cautious in a previous update. The West Hills Hospital Instagram account also provided a look at Leno to show the comedian's recovery at this point:
While Jay Leno may not be the spitting image of George Clooney in that image, he looks pretty great! He even smiled to pose with staff at the Grossman Burn Center, and fans of the comedian can breathe a sigh of release that he's on the mend enough to be released for outpatient care, look forward to Thanksgiving, and still look like himself.
Hopefully, more updates about his status will be announced at some point, but for now, the future seems bright for Jay Leno's recovery. Tim Allen's comments (after he shared a BTS look at Jay Leno on the set of Last Man Standing over the summer) gave a window into Leno's state of mind while in the hospital, and he's now well on the road to recovery.
