Aubrey Plaza is talking candidly for the primary time about her late husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, and the grief she’s been dwelling with since his passing earlier this yr.
It’s been almost seven months since Baena tragically died by suicide at age 47, and whereas the Parks and Recreation star has returned to work and public appearances, she admits that the ache stays an ongoing problem.
Plaza not too long ago joined longtime good friend and co-star Amy Poehler on her podcast “Good Cling,” the place Poehler compassionately broached the subject. “You’ve had this horrible, horrible tragic yr. You misplaced your husband. You’ve been coping with that and also you’ve been in search of all alternative ways to really feel and discover assist,” Poehler mentioned. “On behalf of all of the individuals who really feel they know you and the individuals who do know you, how are you feeling at present?”
Plaza didn’t shrink back from the query, selecting honesty about the place she’s at in her journey. “Proper on this very, very current second I really feel completely satisfied to be with you,” she responded. “I really feel, total, I’m right here and I’m functioning and I really feel actually grateful to be transferring via the world. I feel I’m OK. However, it’s a each day wrestle, clearly.”
The actress went on to explain her grief via an sudden — but hanging — popular culture comparability. “This is sort of a actually dumb analogy, and it was sort of a joke at a sure level, however I truly imply it — did you see that film, The Gorge?” Plaza requested. “It’s like an alien film with Miles Teller, however within the film, there’s a cliff on one facet after which there’s a cliff on the opposite facet after which there’s a gorge in between and it’s stuffed with all these monster individuals which might be attempting to get them.”
She continued: “I swear, once I watched it, I used to be like, that seems like what my grief is like — or what grief could possibly be like — always there’s an enormous ocean of awfulness that’s proper there and I can see it. Typically I simply need to dive into it and be in it and typically I simply have a look at it and typically I attempt to get away from it, but it surely’s at all times there. It’s simply at all times there and the monster persons are attempting to get me, like Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Pleasure.”
Baena, identified for his work on indie movies similar to Life After Beth, Joshy, The Little Hours and Spin Me Spherical, was discovered at his Los Angeles house in January. He and Plaza had been collectively since 2011 however saved their marriage personal till 2021, typically selecting to let their inventive collaborations communicate for themselves.
Following his dying, Plaza and their households launched a joint assertion: “That is an unimaginable tragedy. We’re deeply grateful to everybody who has supplied assist. Please respect our privateness throughout this time.”
If you happen to or somebody is struggling, the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline could be reached by dialing 988. The free, confidential service is offered 24/7 for anybody in disaster or in want of assist.
