Aubrey Plaza Grief: Husband’s Death, Daily Struggle
Aubrey Plaza on Grief, Collaboration, and Finding Laughter After Loss
Actor Aubrey Plaza opened up about the ongoing grief following the death of her husband, Jeff Baena, during a candid conversation on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang. Baena, a celebrated indie filmmaker known for works like I Heart Huckabees and The Little Hours, died by suicide in January at the age of 47.
Poehler initiated the conversation, acknowledging the difficulty of the past year for Plaza. “People want to see you, and see how you are,” Poehler said, extending empathy on behalf of fans and loved ones. Plaza responded with a measured honesty, stating, “Overall I’m here and I’m functioning, and I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I’m OK. But, you know, it’s a daily struggle, obviously.”
Plaza described her grief as a vast and overwhelming presence, drawing a striking analogy to the 2025 film The Gorge, starring miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. “That feels what my grief is like,” she explained. “At all times, there’s a giant ocean of awfulness that’s right there, and I can see it.And sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it. And sometimes I just look at it. And sometimes I just try to get away from it. But it’s always there, and the monster people are trying to get me. Like Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy.”
A Creative Partnership and Shared History
Baena and Plaza shared a deep creative connection, extending beyond their romantic relationship.They collaborated on several projects, beginning with Baena’s directorial debut, the 2014 zombie comedy Life After Beth, after dating for three years. He followed that with Joshy (2016), and Plaza appeared in four of his five films overall. in a 2017 interview with Marc Maron, Baena expressed his gratitude for their partnership, stating, “The opportunities to create together, to do somthing creative where we’re both fulfilled, it’s like how rare is that? She’s down and she’s so talented, so I’m really lucky.”
Plaza is currently promoting her role in Ethan Coen’s new film, honey Don’t!, a mystery opening this Friday, marking her first project since Baena’s death. She has also recently appeared in the Marvel series Agatha all Along, the surrealist comedy My Old Ass, and Francis Ford Coppola’s epic Megalopolis.