Los Angeles, August 19, 2025 — Actress Aubrey Plaza has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, describing her grief as a “daily struggle” during an emotional interview on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang.
Baena, 47, died by suicide in January 2025. The couple had been together for more than a decade and married in 2021. Plaza and Baena collaborated on several films, including Life After Beth and The Little Hours.
Plaza on Coping With Loss
Speaking with Poehler, her longtime friend and Parks and Recreation co-star, Plaza, 41, said that while she continues to work and move forward, the grief remains constant.
“Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning… I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m okay. It’s like a daily struggle, obviously,” she said.
(The Guardian, EW)
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A Vivid Metaphor for Grief
Plaza described her emotions through an analogy inspired by the Apple TV+ film The Gorge:
“It’s like there’s a cliff on one side, another on the other, and a gorge in between filled with monster people. That feels like what my grief is like… At all times, there’s a giant ocean of awfulness that’s right there… Sometimes I just want to dive into it… But it’s always there.”
Family Statement
Following Baena’s death, Plaza and his family issued a joint statement calling it an “unimaginable tragedy” and asked for privacy as they mourned.
(People)
Moving Forward
Despite the tragedy, Plaza has continued her career. She is currently promoting her latest film, Honey Don’t!, her first major release since Baena’s passing.
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