Jay Leno is recovering, says his old friend Tim Allen.
After the former host of The Tonight Show was hospitalized this week after suffering burns from a car fire, Allen stopped by to visit him. On the way out of the hospital, Allen responded to questions from TMZ and seemed in good spirits, cracking jokes as he gave an update on Leno’s health.
“Jay is good. He’s feeling better,” Allen said. “We did some jokes, which is what we do. We commiserated. We connected as friends.”
When asked how Leno’s face is after the accident, Allen jokingly replied that “it didn’t look all that good to begin with.”
“He’s going for the George Clooney look. You’ll be surprised,” Allen quipped. “He’s handsome, and he’s happy, and the hospital has done a great job taking care of him.”
That update is in line with a statement Leno released about his injuries earlier this week. “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire,” he said, adding, “I am okay. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
Leno suffered the burns while trying to repair a car in his garage. News of the accident first broke when Leno canceled a performance at the Financial Brand Forum, a conference that focuses on marketing and growth strategies in the banking world, in Las Vegas on Sunday. He subsequently canceled all other engagements for the week. TMZ was the first to report that the cancellations were because of his car-related injuries, which EW later confirmed.
Since leaving The Tonight Show in 2014, the comedian has dedicated much of his time to his extensive car collection, tending to his vehicles privately or showing them off in his CNBC series Jay Leno’s Garage. Allen has appeared on the show nine times, most recently in the Sept. 28 episode, in which the two pals dove into the history of trucks.
Allen told TMZ after his visit to see Leno at the hospital that he brought his old friend some car magazines to look over while he recuperates.
Leno was a recurring presence on multiple seasons of Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing, in which he played semi-retired auto technician Joe Leonard. Leno even had a major storyline in the series finale last year.
Allen currently stars on the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses, in which he reprises his beloved role as the Christmas icon from the film franchise. Leno isn’t slated to appear in that six-episode miniseries, though Peyton Manning pops up as himself.
