BREAKING NEWSAubrey Plaza Says It's a 'Daily Struggle' to Cope After Shocking Death of Husband Jeff Baena
Aubrey Plaza spoke out about her late husband Jeff Baena's death on a podcast episode.
Aug. 19 2025, Updated 8:39 a.m. ET
Aubrey Plaza broke her silence after the death of her late husband, Jeff Baena, during an appearance on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast.
"Just to get it out the way, people want to see you and want to see how you are, they love you," the comedian told her Parks and Recreation costar.
"You've had this terrible, terrible, tragic year. You lost your husband, you've been dealing with that and you've been looking for all different ways in which to feel and find support," Poehler continued.
Aubrey Plaza Breaks Her Silence on Late Husband's Death
Aubrey Plaza spoke to the comedian about her late husband.
"On behalf of all the people who feel like they know you, and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?" Poehler asked, to which Plaza responded, "Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you."
"Overall, I'm here and I'm functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I'm okay, but it's like a daily struggle, obviously," Plaza continued.
Aubrey Plaza has been promoting her movie lately.
The brunette beauty compared grief to the 2025 movie The Gorge.
Plaza told Poehler, "This is a really dumb analogy and it was kind of a joke at a certain point, but I actually mean it. Did you see that movie The Gorge?"
"It's like [an] alien movie or something with Miles Teller. In the movie, there's like a cliff on one side and there's a cliff on the other side, then there's gorge in between and it's filled with all these like monster people that are trying to get them," she added.
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Aubrey Plaza Discusses Grief
The actress married Jeff Baena in 2021.
Plaza said when she watched it, that is what her grief feels like.
"At all times there's like a giant ocean of awfulness, that's like right there and I can see it. Sometimes I just want to dive into it, and just like be in it. Then sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But, it's always there," she explained.
How Did Jeff Baena Die?
The star died in January.
The White Lotus star began dating Baena in 2011. They later got married in May 2021.
As OK! previously reported, law enforcement sources told TMZ the filmmaker's assistant discovered his unconscious body on Friday, January 3, at his Los Angeles, Calif., home. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It was later revealed he died by suicide.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
