Aubrey Plaza | Source: Getty Images
Aubrey Plaza Reflects on the Grief of Losing Her Husband, Jeff Baena
Aug 20, 2025 - 09:25 A.M.
Aubrey Plaza is speaking candidly about the pain of losing her ex-husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, describing her grief as a constant presence she must learn to live alongside.
Aubrey Plaza is opening up about life after loss, speaking on Amy Poehler's podcast "Good Hang" about how she continues to cope with the death of her estranged husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena.
The "White Lotus" star described grief as an ongoing challenge but told Poehler, "Right in this very very present moment, I feel happy to be with you. Overall, I'm here and I'm functioning." Plaza, whose husband died by suicide in January 2025 at age 47, said she feels "very grateful to be moving through the world" and considers herself "okay."
To explain the weight of mourning, Plaza drew a comparison to the film "Gorge," which depicts two snipers standing watch without knowing what lies below.
Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza attend Lisa Edelstein's Birthday Party at Private Residence on May 21, 2016 in Silverlake, California. | Source: Getty Images
"That's what my grief feels like or what grief could be like," she said. "At all times, there's, like, a giant ocean of just awfulness that's just right there and I can see it." She added that sometimes she feels compelled to dive into it, while at other moments she tries to distance herself.
When Poehler asked how she manages to laugh in the midst of grief, Plaza credited her longtime friends. "A group of my women friends … we have, like, a text chain and we do Zooms and trips and those girls make me laugh really, really hard," she explained. "We've all known each other for so long. That's the best thing that makes me laugh. My funny friends."
Plaza and Baena had been together since 2011 and married during the COVID-19 pandemic, exchanging vows in tie-dye pajamas to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
The couple had separated prior to his death, with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner noting in a March 2025 report that their split occurred in September 2024, when Plaza relocated to New York.
Aubrey Plaza (L) and director Jeff Baena attend "The Little Hours" premiere during day 1 of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at Library Center Theater on January 19, 2017 in Park City, Utah. | Source: Getty Images
Following Baena's passing, Plaza joined his family in releasing a statement honoring his life.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
