Jay Leno's Bruised Face and Eye Patch Are Because He Fell Down the Side of a Hill

Thanks in part to his often-mocked chin, Jay Leno has a pretty distinctive face. In fact, his face is so recognizable that many were shocked when he showed up to a November 2024 comedy show looking totally different. The former host of The Tonight Show had bruises down one side of his face and was also rocking an eye patch.

As the images of Jay with a totally banged-up face began to circulate, many wanted to know exactly what happened to him. Here's what we know about how Jay Leno's face got all messed up.

In speaking with Inside Edition, Jay explained that he sustained the injuries to his face after falling down the side of a hill on the way to dinner before a show in Pittsburgh.

“I’m a little beat up,” he explained.” “I fell 60 feet. Boom, boom, boom, boom.”

The comedian explained that he “hit a bunch of rocks" which were the reason for all of his bruises, adding that one of the rocks hit him in the eye, which explains the eye patch.

He also lost a nail in the fall. When he was asked if he would be able to see again out of his affected eye, it seemed clear that Jay didn't think the injury was that big of a deal.

“It’ll be fine. I’m not worried about it," he said, shrugging it off. He also broke his wrist during the fall.

In spite of the injury, Jay performed his show that night just three hours later, and also performed on Nov. 18 in Beverly Hills.

At 74, you would think Jay would be a little more careful with his body, but the former host of The Tonight Show doesn't appear to share in that concern. In 2023, he was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in more broken bones, including a broken collarbone, and before that, he suffered a fire in his garage that resulted in him sustaining serious burns to much of his upper body and face.

“That was the first accident. OK? Then just last week, I got knocked off my motorcycle. So I’ve got a broken collarbone. I’ve got two broken ribs. I’ve got two cracked kneecaps," Jay said at the time to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Following his motorcycle incident, Jay also pushed through and continued to look. It's possible that the comedian is just unlucky, but it's undeniable that he is remarkably injury-prone.

Thankfully, the fall in Pittsburgh doesn't appear to have broken his spirits or resulted in a truly severe injury. Jay has more money than he'll ever need, though, so his shows certainly aren't to keep him afloat financially. His determination to continue performing, even through injury, is admirable. His many fans are simply hoping that he can continue to tour for as long as possible without sustaining any more broken bones.