Aubrey Plaza opened up about her grief following her husband Jeff Baena’s death on a new podcast episode.
The actress broke down the “daily struggle” to Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” listeners Tuesday.
“Right in this very very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” the 41-year-old, whose partner died by suicide in January at age 47, explained to her former “Parks and Recreation” co-star. “Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning.”
Plaza noted that she was “very grateful to be moving through the world” and felt “OK.”
She went on to compare her mourning experience to the “Gorge” movie, which features two snipers guarding a gorge without knowing what’s inside.
“That’s what my grief feels like or what grief could be like,” the “White Lotus” alum said. “At all times, there’s, like, a giant ocean of just awfulness that’s just right there and I can see it.”
She continued, “Sometimes I just want to dive into it and be in it. And sometimes I look at it and sometimes I just try to get away from it, but it’s always there.”
Later in the episode, Poehler asked how Plaza “deeply laugh[s]” and “stay[s] on the cliff and not in the gorge.”
The comedian replied, “A group of my women friends … we have, like, a text chain and we do Zooms and trips and those girls make me laugh really, really hard.”
She added, “We’ve all known each other for so long. That’s the best thing that makes me laugh. My funny friends.”
The Emmy nominee and Baena began dating in 2011 and got married while quarantining amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The duo spontaneously tied the knot in tie-dye pajamas to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
The pair were separated when Baena died.
The Golden Globe nominee and Baena separated in “September 2024 when [Plaza] moved to New York,” according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s March report.
Plaza, along with the screenwriter’s family members, issued a joint statement following Baena’s tragic passing.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” they wrote. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Plaza made her first public appearance at the “SNL 50” anniversary special the following month, paying tribute to her late partner with a tie-dye shirt.
