Actor Aubrey Plaza spoke publicly in August 2025 about her grief after the death of her husband, writer and director Jeff Baena. Baena died on January 3, 2025, at the age of 47. The death was ruled a suicide.
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Plaza spoke on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, in an episode released in August 2025. Asked how she was feeling, she said she was “here and I’m functioning” and that she felt “really grateful to be moving through the world.” She described the grief as “like a daily struggle, obviously.” She compared it to the feeling of being hunted by monsters in the 2025 film The Gorge.
The family’s statement
After Baena’s death, Plaza and his family released a joint statement calling it “an unimaginable tragedy” and asking for privacy. Reports at the time said the couple had separated in the months before his death.
Support
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or grief, you can call or text 988 in the United States, or contact your local emergency number or a crisis line in your country.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article included unsourced quotations and details, and it has been rewritten using the reporting listed below.
Sources
- CBS News, Aubrey Plaza on her husband Jeff Baena’s death: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/philadelphia/news/aubrey-plaza-husband-jeff-baena-death
- CP24 (CNN), Aubrey Plaza is functioning but it’s a daily struggle after her husband’s death (19 August 2025): https://www.cp24.com/news/entertainment/2025/08/19/aubrey-plaza-is-functioning-but-its-a-daily-struggle-after-her-husbands-death
- The Irish Times, Aubrey Plaza talks about her husband’s death (20 August 2025): https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/2025/08/20/aubrey-plaza-talks-about-her-husbands-death-a-daily-struggle-at-all-times-theres-a-giant-ocean-of-awfulness
- Boston 25 News, ‘Daily struggle’: Aubrey Plaza speaks about husband’s death: https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending/daily-struggle-aubrey-plaza-speaks-about-husbands-death/3O3ZCUOGP5BWHMPZW5BZXWTQVQ