Aubrey Plaza has spoken out after her husband Jeff Baena's death earlier this year.
Sitting down with her good friend and Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler on the latter's podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Plaza opened up about her grief.
"Did you see that movie, The Gorge?" Plaza asks the podcast host, who reveals she has not.
The podcast guest goes on to describe the film as "an alien movie or something, with Miles Teller."
She continues: "In the movie, there is a cliff on one side and a cliff on the other side and there's a gorge in between and it's filled with all these monster-people that are trying to get them. And I swear when I watched, I was like that feels like what my grief is like.
"At all times there's a giant ocean of awful-ness... and sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it and sometimes I just look at it and sometimes I try to get away from it."
It had previously been revealed that Baena was in touch with his estranged wife Plaza, just hours before his death on January 3.
According to a report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner (via ABC News), the White Lotus star revealed that she received a text from Baena three hours before he was found dead by suicide at his Los Angeles home.
Baena and Plaza had quietly separated in September 2024, after three years of marriage. Despite their separation, the couple remained in communication. Plaza told authorities that they spoke on the phone the evening before Baena’s passing.
The medical examiner’s report revealed that she was also concerned about Baena's well-being following a conversation one month after their breakup, during which he reportedly made “concerning remarks.”
This prompted Plaza, who had moved to New York following the separation, to ask a friend to conduct a welfare check on him. Baena began therapy after this incident.
On the morning of his death, Baena's dog walker discovered his body after arriving as scheduled. The dog walker reported hearing loud music, which she found unusual, and when she entered the home, she found Baena deceased, the report stated.
A few days after Baena’s passing, Plaza, who began dating the filmmaker in 2011, released a statement in collaboration with his family, calling his death "an unimaginable tragedy." The statement read, “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Baena’s family later honored his life and work in a heartfelt obituary. They wrote that his films reflected “a carefully crafted balance of the logical and the implausible.”
They also praised his creative spirit, saying, “His juxtaposition of intellect and creativity challenged us.” The tribute described Baena as a "true relationship builder," someone who "brought people together," and noted, “no one ever left his get-togethers as a stranger.”
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena first met in 2011 during a game of Balderdash, and they began dating shortly after. Though they kept their relationship mostly private, Plaza has shared that they bonded over their shared passion for movies. "We’re so obsessed with movies," she told Page Six in 2017. "That’s why we’re making movies together."
Three years into their relationship, Baena directed his first film, Life After Beth, with Plaza starring in the lead role. This collaboration marked the start of a creative partnership between the two.
Though the couple generally kept their relationship out of the public eye, Plaza spoke in 2019 about the benefits of being with someone in the same industry. “I think that when you’re with someone that is in your field, they understand what you’re dealing with on a deeper level,” she shared with People. She acknowledged the challenges of working with a partner but emphasized that “it’s all about balance.”
In May 2021, Plaza confirmed that she and Baena had married, posting a rare public tribute to him on social media. “So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to Italia to cause some more trouble,” she wrote, teasing their upcoming movie Spin Me Round.
In 2022, Baena revealed how much he admired his wife, not just as a partner but as an artist. “She’s awesome,” he said on the Reel Talker podcast. “I’d be working with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is my wife. The opportunity to do something creative where we’re both fulfilled. How rare is that?”
Baena and Plaza worked together on their final film, Spin Me Round, in 2022. Over their 14 years together, they also collaborated on The Little Hours and Joshy.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report, Baena and Plaza were experiencing “marital difficulties” before his passing. The couple had separated in September 2024 when Plaza moved to New York. Despite this, they continued to communicate, with Baena reaching out to her just hours before his death.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or text HOME to 741741.