Aubrey Plaza shared a poignant message about moving forward “no matter what happens” following the death of her husband, Jeff Bena.
The Plaza has mostly been out of the spotlight since Bainah died of suicide at the age of 47 in January. However, she stopped by the show on Wednesday to promote her new children’s book, “Luna and the Witch are Halloween Party.”
The book’s main character is a grandma-like witch inspired by the Plaza’s own grandmother.
“She taught me that life is a party from a very young age,” the actress, 41, told host Savannah Guthrie. “And no matter what happens (it) we need to have fun and move forward.”
The “Parking and Recreation” star didn’t mention Baena’s death until August.
Sitting alongside former co-star Amy Poehler on the “Good Hang” podcast, Plaza compared her sadness to “just awful giant ocean.”
She said, “Sometimes I just dive into it and want to be there, and sometimes I see it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But it’s always there.”
Despite the “everyday struggle” of despair, Plaza pointed out that he was “very grateful to move around the world”, ensuring Polar that he felt “alright.”
She picked up “a group of (her) female friends” and thought “really, really, really laughing hard” on her darkest day.
The star of “Mike and Dave Need a Wedding Date” and screenwriter Baena began dating in 2011.
They married while in quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic and spontaneously tied the knot in their Tidai pajamas.
After his death, Plaza issued a joint statement with Baena’s family about “an unimaginable tragedy.” It was later revealed that the two had actually been separated four months ago.
Still, Plaza paid tribute to Baena with her short “SNL 50” anniversary special cameo in February, wearing a Tidai shirt.