Aubrey Plaza made her first public remarks about losing husband Jeff Baena in a deeply emotional episode of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. Eight months after his death by suicide in January, Plaza shared how grief continues to be a daily challenge. “I’m here and I’m functioning,” she said, adding that she feels “really grateful to be moving through the world”—yet acknowledged, “it’s like a daily struggle, obviously.”
Plaza offered a powerful analogy drawn from the Apple TV+ film The Gorge. She likened her grief to being stranded between two cliffs, with a monstrous gorge full of emotional turbulence beneath her. “At all times there’s a giant ocean of just awfulness… sometimes I just want to dive into it,” she shared. “It’s always there.”
Her candid reflections were met with warmth and support from Poehler, her former Parks and Recreation co-star. Plaza expressed gratitude for her close circle of female friends who have stayed by her side through texts, Zoom calls, and visits, helping anchor her through the grief.
Plaza’s heartfelt words offer a rare and humanizing look at navigating profound loss—reminding listeners that healing can be gentle, messy, and persistently present. Honey Don’t!, Plaza’s upcoming film, serves not only as her next project but also as a form of creative resilience amid sorrow.
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