Aubrey Plaza Admits She Is 'Functioning' Amid 'Daily Struggle' Of Husband’s Death: 'It's Always There’

Aubrey Plaza is getting real about living with grief following the tragic and unexpected death of her husband, Jeff Baena. 

Baena took his own life this year at 47 years old, and Plaza is still struggling to adjust to life without him. 

Although the couple shared a beautiful life, their 13-year marriage was reportedly on the rocks at the time of Baena's passing, and they had been separated for four months. 

Plaza was featured on a recent episode of Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast, when the topic of her husband's death came up. Poehler, who is Plaza's longtime friend and co-star, asked how she was doing in light of the recent tragedy. 

"On behalf of all the people who feel like they know you, and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?" Poehler asked. 

Plaza told her co-star she was happy to be with her in that "very present moment." However, regarding her overall feelings, she admitted that it wasn't altogether a smooth journey. 

"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," Plaza said. 

Unable to fully articulate her feelings, the "Black Bear" actress used a film analogy to express how grief-stricken she was. She likened her friend to the 2025 film, "The Gorge," saying that her grief feels like the gorge in the movie, which was filled with monsters. 

"At all times there's like a giant ocean of awfulness, that's like right there and I can see it," she added. 

For the 41-year-old actress, some days are different than others. Sometimes, she wants to "dive into it" and be in it, while at other times, she wants the opposite. "Then sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But, it's always there," she said. 

Plaza's husband, Baena, passed away on January 3, 2025, after he took his own life. His family released a statement following his death, calling the incident an "unimaginable tragedy."

Before Baena died, he had been in therapy for months. While the specific reasons for his therapy visits remain undisclosed, he was going through some difficulties, and he sought help by seeing a specialist. 

A few months before her husband passed away, Plaza had reportedly received troubling news from him. As such, she put up a welfare check for him to ensure that he was okay, as reported by The Blast.

Although Baena's death took a toll on her, Plaza didn't wallow in her grief forever. As reported by The Blast, she made her first red carpet appearance a few months ago at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

The actress put on a brave face during the event while attending the French premiere of "Honey Don't!", a movie in which she stars. 

Donned in a stunning sheer beaded dress, Plaza was spotted taking pictures with her co-stars on the red carpet.

She was even captured in a heartwarming moment as one of her co-stars, Margaret Qualley, was seen offering her comfort as they posed for the cameras.

Following Baena's tragic death, news came to light that there was trouble in paradise for him and Plaza shortly before he died.

The Blast reported that the two had been living in separate houses since September 2024, and Plaza had moved to New York following the split.

Although they were separated, Baena and Plaza remained in each other's lives. The actress spoke to the late screenwriter the night before he died, however, the details of the communication between the two remain unknown. 

A few years ago, the "Parks And Recreation" actress opened up about her marriage to her late husband, saying it was spontaneous.

She described it as a "joke that honestly went too far," saying, "We got married on a whim. Literally decided around 5 p.m. and got married at 8:40." 

Plaza also revealed that they wore "tie-dye pajamas" for the wedding, and she wore a "purely rosemary crown" for their "witch-core wedding."