Aubrey Plaza has publicly addressed the tragic death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, for the first time in an emotional interview on Amy Poehler’s podcast, “Good Hang,” per variety.com. Baena, 47, died by suicide in January after the couple had been together for more than a decade, marrying in 2021.
Poehler, Plaza’s former Parks and Recreation co-star, opened the conversation by asking how she was coping with the “terrible, tragic year.” Plaza responded honestly, stating, “Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning… It’s like a daily struggle, obviously.”
The actress offered a powerful, raw analogy for her grief, comparing it to a scene from the Apple TV+ movie The Gorge. She described a deep chasm filled with “monster people,” with the characters trapped on a cliff above. “At all times, there’s a giant ocean of awfulness that’s right there and I can see it,” she explained. “Sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it… But, it’s always there.”
Plaza’s appearance on the podcast coincides with the promotion of her new film, “Honey Don’t!” which marks her first major film release since Baena’s passing. The couple collaborated on several projects, including Life After Beth and The Little Hours.
Following his death, Plaza and Baena’s family released a joint statement calling it an “unimaginable tragedy.”
•Featured image: Aubrey Plaza/Getty Images
