Aubrey Plaza Opens Up About Grief After Husband Jeff Baena’s Death
Actor Aubrey Plaza has spoken candidly about the pain she has been carrying since the death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who passed away by suicide earlier this year. The conversation took place during a heartfelt interview with her longtime friend and Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler on Poehler’s podcast Good Hang .
When Poehler asked how she was managing after such a devastating year, Plaza admitted that her emotions were complex. She said that in the moment she felt happy to be with Poehler, and she expressed gratitude for still being able to move through the world. But she acknowledged the reality behind that calm surface—describing her grief as “a daily struggle, obviously.”
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Baena, known for directing comedies like Life After Beth and The Little Hours , as well as co-writing I Heart Huckabees , died at the age of 47 in Los Angeles. The couple, who had been together for a decade before marrying in 2021, were both partners in life and frequent collaborators in film. At the time of his death, a joint statement from Plaza and his family called it “an unimaginable tragedy.”
In her podcast interview, Plaza tried to put words to the overwhelming feeling of grief, using a metaphor from the recent Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller The Gorge . She explained that in the film, there is a deep canyon filled with monsters, always present and threatening. For her, grief has felt similar—like a constant ocean of awfulness always nearby. Sometimes she finds herself staring into it, sometimes she wants to fall into it completely, and other times she tries to escape it. But, as she described, it never really goes away.
The honesty in her words made clear how loss has reshaped her daily life. Even while working again—she is currently promoting Ethan Coen’s new comedy Honey Don’t! —Plaza admitted that laughter is rare for her these days. What still makes her laugh, she said, are moments with her close friends, the people who truly know her.
Baena’s career had been marked by darkly comic and offbeat films, often starring Plaza. His final work, Spin Me Round with Alison Brie, was released not long before his death. Many colleagues and critics praised his unique storytelling voice, describing his films as twisted yet deeply entertaining.
Plaza’s reflections serve as a reminder that grief is not something that can be neatly resolved—it is carried, lived with, and faced in unpredictable ways. She chose to speak openly, not only to honor her late husband but also to acknowledge the shared human experience of loss. Her vulnerability resonates with anyone who has struggled with the same ongoing waves of sadness that follow tragedy.
For those who may be dealing with similar pain, help is available. In the U.S., the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by dialing 988, and international helplines are listed at befrienders.org. Plaza’s story underscores how important it is to seek connection and support, even in the darkest times.
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