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Jay Leno opened up about his horrific burn injuries from an oil fire while working on one of his classic cars in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, published on Sunday 11 December. The 72-year-old comic appeared unfazed by his recent accident and even had a good sense of humor about the facial surgery he underwent to treat the burns.
While discussing his surgery and the recovery process, Jay was a little self-deprecating about the reconstruction. “Eight days later I had a brand new face,” he joked. “And it’s better than what came before.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Jay explained that feeling like poking fun and using the accident to crack jokes is an important step in recovery, and it helps get audiences on his side. “You have to be joking,” he explained. “There’s nothing worse than tearful celebs. If you joke about it, people laugh along with you.”
Ultimately the former Tonight show The host explained that he was aware of the possibility of an accident when working on vintage cars. “But really, it was an accident, that’s all. Anyone who works with their hands regularly will eventually have an accident. When you play soccer, you get a concussion or a broken leg. There is a risk factor in everything you do,” he said.
It was revealed that Jay was rushed to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles on November 13 after being covered in oil that subsequently caught fire while he was repairing what he said was a “clogged fuel line.” TMZ. He credited his friend David by rescuing him by throwing himself on him. After being discharged from the hospital, he looked as good as new but had some scars and burns on his hands and face.
After spending some time in the hospital, Jay returned to the stage on November 27 with a show at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California. Speaking to reporters ahead of the show, he revealed he had some jokes planned after his mishap TMZ. “No, stay away from the Flamin’ Hot Doritos. They caused all of this,” he said, while also joking about it in the crowd. “We have two shows tonight: regular and extra crispy.”
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