Comedian Jay Leno hospitalized after hitting his head during a fall

By 
 November 20, 2024

The New York Post reported that comedian and former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno was badly hurt during a recent fall.

Yet despite being rushed to the emergency room, the comedian nevertheless took time to joke about his experience. 

Leno hit his head on a rock after rolling down a hill

"I was staying at a hotel … on a hill," the Post quoted Leno as telling TMZ. "I said, 'Where's a good place to eat?' 'Oh, the bottom.' The restaurant was there, but to get to it, I didn’t have a car, so I had to walk about a mile and a half around."

"I said, 'Well, the hill doesn’t look that steep. It’s about 60, 70 feet. Let me see if I can go down there,'" Leno continued.

"The fuel line was clogged, so I was underneath it," Leno was quoted as telling "Today" host Hoda Kotb. He then recalled telling Killackey to "blow some air through the line," something which resulted in him getting "a face full of gas."

"And then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire," Leno stated. "I said to my friend, I said, 'Dave, I'm on fire.' And Dave’s like, ‘All right.’ I said, 'No, Dave, I’m on fire'’ And then, 'Oh, my God.'"

Leno recalled how Killackey proceeded to act quickly, crediting him with having smothered the fire and summoning assistance.

Former late-night television host underwent skin grafts

The former late-night television host went on to spend a total of 10 days at the Grossman Burn Center located in Los Angeles.

There Leno underwent treatment for third-degree burns on his face, chest and hands. This included skin grafts and other surgical procedures.

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