Aubrey Plaza opens up about grief after husband Jeff Baena's suicide

Seven months after the death of her husband, Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza spoke candidly about her ongoing grief in a conversation with her friend Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast. Plaza, 41, described the daily, present-tense effort of coping after Baena, a filmmaker, died by suicide at age 47 in January. She said she feels “here and functioning” and “grateful to be moving through the world,” but she emphasized that the process is a daily struggle. The discussion included a vivid metaphor for her state of mind and a reference to their long relationship, both personal and professional.

During the episode, Plaza explained that she experiences grief in a way that feels constant and all-encompassing. “Right in this very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” she told Poehler, before offering a broader assessment of her day-to-day life: “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.” The actress spoke while seated beside her dog Frankie, whom Poehler described as a “therapy dog,” a label Plaza acknowledged in a light-hearted but meaningful way given the circumstances.