Actress Aubrey Plaza has shared her emotional struggle with grief after the suicide of her husband, director Jeff Baena. Baena, 47, passed away in January at his Los Angeles home. A joint statement from Plaza and his family described the loss as “unimaginable tragedy.”
In a recent interview with Amy Poehler for her podcast Good Hang, Plaza used an analogy from the sci-fi horror film The Gorge to describe the overwhelming feeling of grief. She likened it to watching a movie where characters are pursued by monsters in a gorge. Plaza expressed that this feeling is always present and can be both tempting and terrifying.
Baena’s career was marked by critically acclaimed films, including Life After Beth and The Little Hours. He also co-wrote the film I Heart Huckabees with David O Russell. Plaza will continue to act in upcoming projects, such as Ethan Coen’s comedy Honey Don’t.
Despite struggling daily, Plaza expressed gratitude for being able to move through the world and acknowledged that she is not okay but “functioning.” The couple met in 2011 and married in 2021.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/aug/19/aubrey-plaza-husband-jeff-baena-death