‘Ocean of awfulness': Aubrey Plaza opens up about husband's death for first time
According to the medical examiner's report released in March, the couple had separated four months before Baena's death. Plaza and his family shared a brief statement following the filmmaker's passing, describing it as 'an unimaginable tragedy' and imploring people to respect their privacy.
Since then, the actress has largely remained out of the spotlight. However, she is currently doing the media rounds as part of the promotion of her upcoming film, Ethan Coen's Honey Don't! – her first major film release this year.
'Overall, I'm here, and I'm functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world,' Plaza said on the podcast. 'But it's like a daily struggle, obviously.'
Baena was known for his work co-writing the quirky comedy I Heart Huckabees in 2004. He went on to write and direct the films Life After Beth, Joshy, The Little Hours, Horse Girl and Spin Me Round, and also created the anthology series Cinema Toast. Plaza starred in his directorial debut Life After Beth in 2014. The couple worked together on five films, performing together in The End of Love (2014).
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Though Plaza is best known for her role as the dark and dry April on Parks and Recreation, she has also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Dirty Grandpa, The White Lotus and Megalopolis. In 2023, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her part in the second season of The White Lotus.
How have people responded?
Since the podcast episode dropped, listeners have flooded social media to express gratitude for Plaza and Poehler's delicate navigation of such a sensitive subject. Many found the description of grief as an 'ocean of awfulness' relatable and somewhat comforting. Listeners also considered it a refreshing departure from western culture's traditional approach to death, especially suicide, which is generally to avoid it.
'I also lost my partner this year and I didn't expect this episode to be so comforting. I thought they would just ignore Aubrey's grief, as that is what most of my friends have done. It was nice to see everyone be so honest about it and not afraid of it,' one listener wrote in the comments section on YouTube.
On Instagram, writer Evan Ross Katz praised both women for their approach to conversations about death and loss.
'I've said it before and I'll say it again: Nothing heals the heart like hearing people talk about their grief journey. Incredibly grateful to Aubrey Plaza for sharing this, and to Amy Poehler for shepherding the conversation. Good Hang, once again, delivers.'
Several others highlighted Poehler's approach in particular, applauding the comedian for including the National Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline at 988 and Spotify's mental health resources in the episode.
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After largely remaining silent since Baena's death, Plaza is promoting her new film, a dark comedy from director Ethan Coen titled Honey Don't! Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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