Aubrey Plaza opens up about husband’s death on Amy Poehler’s podcast
Actor Aubrey Plaza addressed the death of her late husband in an interview released on Tuesday, marking the first time she’s publicly spoken at length about the loss.
Plaza’s husband, Hollywood writer and director Jeff Baena, died by suicide in January.
Speaking with former “Parks and Recreation” co-star Amy Poehler on Poehler’s new podcast “Good Hang,” the 41-year-old “White Lotus” actor said that the grief has been like a “giant ocean of just awfulness that’s right there.”
“I can see it. And sometimes I just want to just dive into it and just be in it,” Plaza said. “And then sometimes I just look at it. And then sometimes I just try to get away from it. But it’s always there. It’s just always there.”
Plaza also drew a comparison between her grief and a scene from the alien-filled horror movie “The Gorge,” which starred Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy and premiered in February.
“There’s a cliff on one side, and then there’s a cliff on the other side, and then there’s Gorge in between, and it’s like filled with all these like Monster people that are trying to get them,” she said. “And I swear, when I watched it, I was like, ‘That feels like what my grief is like.'”
Plaza and Baena married in 2021. They worked together on several films, including 2014’s “Life After Beth,” in which Baena wrote and directed and Plaza had a starring role.
She has made a few public comments or appearances since his death, calling his death “an unimaginable tragedy” in the immediate aftermath.
Poehler addressed Baena’s death within the first 15 minutes of the episode, saying: “On behalf of all the people who feel like they know you, and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?”
“Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” Plaza replied. “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.”
Since her role on “The White Lotus,” Plaza has become one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Throughout her career, she has received several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, including for her role on the second season of “The White Lotus.” In 2023, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
Plaza appeared on Poehler’s podcast as part of a press tour to promote her upcoming movie, “Honey Don’t,” which premieres in theaters this week.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.