Celebrity
Aubrey Plaza Honored Her Late Husband In A Sweet Way At SNL50
They two were together for nearly 14 years.
Six weeks after losing her filmmaker husband, Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza returned to the spotlight. The past Saturday Night Live host attended SNL50: The Anniversary Special on Feb. 16, where she introduced a musical performance by Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard. It was Plaza’s first public appearance since Baena tragically died by suicide at 47, and she wordlessly yet beautifully commemorated his life and their 13 years together.
Tie-Dye Tribute
As she introduced Cyrus and Howard’s performance, Plaza wore black pants, a black blazer, and a tie-dye shirt. Fans quickly took note of the shirt and were moved by the apparent nod to Baena. Plaza had previously opened up about her husband’s enthusiasm for tie-dyeing and the fact that they got married his creations.
“Jeff got really into tie-dyeing during the quarantine,” Plaza said on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2021, “so I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us.”
That same month, she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and told the host more about Baena’s lockdown hobby. “My husband got really into tie-dyeing, and when I say ‘into tie-dyeing,’ I mean 50 shirts a day.”
It’s not clear whether the shirt she wore on SNL50 was one Baena had made or not, but her wardrobe choice moved fans nonetheless. “oh the way my heart clenched,” one person wrote on X, “sweet aubrey and the tie dye shirt.”
13 Years Together
Plaza and Baena began dating in 2011 and shared many of the same interests and hobbies. “He’s a creative person and we understand each other on that level,” she said in Cosmopolitan for Latinas in July 2013. “When we’re together we like hanging out at home. We’re happy having people over and playing Settlers of Catan or Battlestar Galactica. We’re kind of dorks.”
The two collaborated on multiple films, including Spin Me Round, The Little Hours, Joshy, and Life After Beth. Plaza admitted working together could be “so complicated” to Drew Barrymore during her 2021 appearance on the talk show, but said there were also “extreme highs.”
“It’s really hard to navigate,” Plaza added, “but man, we’ve been together for 11 years.”
The couple got married on their 10-year anniversary, after she suggested they “do something special,” she shared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I joked about getting married and he was like, ‘Well, we probably couldn’t get married that fast,’” she recalled. It turned out they could. Plaza recounted how she found the website 1hourmarriage.com and they got married that evening in their backyard alongside the “little love altar” she quickly constructed.
Since his death in January, Plaza has largely avoided the public eye. She and his family issued a statement, saying (via Entertainment Weekly), “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides free 24/7 support. You can also reach out to the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860, the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or to your local suicide crisis center.
