Aubrey Plaza earns standing ovation after first red carpet appearance since husband's death

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

Aubrey Plaza made a poignant return to the spotlight, walking her first red carpet since the death of her husband in January.
The Marin County homeowner attended the Cannes Film Festival last week in support of the new dark comedy 'Honey Don't!' Plaza stars as a cop who falls into a love affair with a small-town private detective, played by Margaret Qualley (' The Substance '), as they investigate 'a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church,' according to the film's synopsis on IMDB.
The project also features Chris Evans (who can be seen next month in Celine Song 's 'Materialists'), Charlie Day and Billy Eichner.
During its Cannes premiere on Friday, May 23, Plaza and her castmates received a six-minute standing ovation, with one audience member yelling out 'I love you Aubrey' in support of the star, according to Variety.
'More queer cinema all the time,' the film's writer, Tricia Cooke, declared during the applause.
'Honey Don't!' is set to hit theaters Aug. 22, making it Plaza's first feature since her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, committed suicide on Jan. 3.
The actor is slowly easing back into the public eye as she heals from the loss. In February, she made a live television appearance during 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special' wearing a pink tie-dyed T-shirt, a fashion statement many considered a tribute to both the hobby Baena took up during the pandemic and their wedding day outfits.
A week prior, she starred in a Super Bowl commercial for Ritz Crackers, which was filmed last November.
The couple had been together for more than a decade, but split months before Baena's death. He reportedly made 'concerning remarks' to Plaza that prompted her to ask a friend to 'perform a welfare check' on him, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Plaza now seems ready to return to work. She recently signed on for a new drama, 'The Accompanist,' in which she'll play a rookie child-welfare agent. The film follows a new foster parent, played by Susan Sarandon, as she takes in a 9-year-old girl after she was nearly killed by her dementia-stricken grandfather.