Aubrey Plaza Opens Up on Husband's Death — But Did You Notice Her Throwback Tribute to Jeff Baena at SNL50?

Aubrey Plaza, the American actress known for her roles in Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus, recently broke her 8-month silence on the death of her husband, director Jeff Baena.

Speaking candidly on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, Plaza described the past year as 'terrible, terrible, tragic' but also shared moments of gratitude amidst her grief. 'Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,' she said. 'Overall, I'm here and I'm functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I'm OK, but it's like a daily struggle, obviously.'

Baena died by suicide in January at his Los Angeles home, aged 47. The couple, who married in 2021 after a decade together, had collaborated on several films, including Life After Beth and Spin Me Round, which was Baena's final directorial work, starring Plaza. While Plaza's recent interview marks her first public discussion about her loss, keen-eyed fans may remember an earlier, more subtle tribute she made months ago.

The Tie-Dye Heartbreeaking Tribute At SNL

During Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, Plaza, who was once an intern on the show, appeared briefly to introduce musical guests Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard. Her appearance in itself was surprising for many since it had only been a month since Baena's death.

What captured attention, however, was her choice of attire, which was a vibrant tie-dye shirt worn beneath a blazer. This simple fashion choice was far from incidental.

In a 2021 interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, Plaza revealed that Baena had developed a passion for tie-dye during the pandemic lockdown. She said, 'Jeff got really into tie-dyeing during the quarantine, so I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pyjamas that he had made for us' on their spontaneous wedding day.

The tie-dye shirt at SNL50 was a quiet nod to those shared moments and a visual tribute to Baena's memory.

Plaza Spoke About Her Grieving Journey

Since January, Plaza has been mostly avoiding public appearances. She skipped the Golden Globes ceremony, which was held two days after her husband passed away. After that, in May, Plaza made a red carpet appearance at Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of her film Honey Don't, alongside co-star Margaret Qualley.

However, her recent words on Poehler's podcast gave more insight into her grieving process. Using a metaphor from Apple TV+'s sci-fi horror film The Gorge, Plaza described grief as 'like an alien movie... filled with all these monster people that are trying to get them.' She explained, 'I swear when I watched it, I was like, 'That's what this feels like, what my grief is like – or what grief could be like.'

The couple's relationship, which began in 2011, was not just a personal partnership but a creative one. Plaza's recent openness about her grief, alongside the subtle tribute at SNL50, reflects both her private mourning and the ways she has honoured Baena's memory in public.

Though the pain of loss remains, Plaza's willingness to share her feelings offers a glimpse of resilience. 'I think I'm OK,' she said simply, acknowledging the 'daily struggle' but also the strength it takes to keep moving forward.

Meanwhile, her throwback tribute at SNL50, the tie-dye shirt that echoed a joyful shared moment, reminds her fans and people in general that grief often lives alongside memories of love and laughter.

Plaza, on the other hand, has several upcoming acting projects, one being Ethan Coen's film 'Honey Don't', where she plays a police officer who has an affair with an investigator, played by Qualley.