Amy Poehler Offers Aubrey Plaza the Comfort of Friendship and Girlhood in Her First Conversation on Loss

Aubrey Plaza, of Puerto Rican descent and best known for her role in The White Lotus, has spoken publicly on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler for the first time about the loss of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, who died by suicide in January 2025. In a thoughtful interview with her longtime friend and former Parks and Recreation colleague Amy Poehler, Plaza described her grief as a daily struggle, using imagery from the science fiction film The Gorge to capture the enormity of her emotions.

A Loss That Shook Hollywood

Seven months have passed since Jeff Baena, writer and director of several projects in collaboration with Plaza, was found dead in Los Feliz at the age of forty-seven. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that Baena had taken his own life, a tragedy compounded by the couple’s decision to separate just four months earlier. Baena was widely known for co-writing I Heart Huckabees in 2004 and for directing projects including Life After Beth, Cinema Toast, and Spin Me Round.

Plaza explained that grief now feels like an ever-present ocean, sometimes drawing her closer and sometimes forcing her to step back, yet always there on the horizon. She admitted she is functioning in the world and grateful for that ability, but every day remains a battle with the weight of loss.

Aubrey Plaza Is Back at Work

The interview came as Plaza promotes her new film Honey Don’t, directed by Ethan Coen and co-starring Margaret Qualley. While her career continues its upward momentum, the conversation with Poehler offered a rare and intimate perspective that cut through the polish of promotional cycles in Hollywood. Poehler, rather than steering the conversation into sensationalism, approached her friend with the familiarity of someone who had shared years of collaboration and friendship, opening the space for Plaza to speak with honesty.

Until this point, Plaza had maintained silence outside of a brief statement released in January asking for privacy and thanking supporters during what she described as an unimaginable tragedy.

The Importance of Finding a Tribe

The depth of Plaza’s openness in this exchange was shaped not only by grief but also by trust. Sharing such a vulnerable moment with Poehler showcased the importance of girlhood and the bonds women build with one another. Plaza was able to speak freely without the intrusion of probing or performative questions, a rarity in the entertainment industry where interviews often carry an expectation of revelation rather than care. Poehler gave her colleague the chance to set her own pace, which reflects the ways women can hold space for each other in environments where that kind of empathy is often absent.

Furthermore, the conversation between Plaza and Poehler became a reminder that the tribes we form, whether through friendship or professional kinship, provide the grounding necessary to navigate the unthinkable. Plaza’s voice carried the weight of personal tragedy, but it was also buoyed by the trust that only comes from women who hold one another steady when the world becomes too heavy to carry alone.