Aubrey Plaza expecting first child after husband Jeff Baena’s death

Aubrey Plaza is set to become a mother for the first time, with the news coming more than a year after the death of her husband Jeff Baena.

According to People magazine, the 41-year-old actor is expecting a child with her partner, Girls actor Christopher Abbott. The outlet cited a representative confirming the pregnancy, with the baby reportedly due in the autumn.

A source described the development as “a beautiful surprise after an emotional year”, adding that the couple feel “very blessed”.

A new chapter after loss

The reported pregnancy follows a deeply difficult period for Plaza. Baena, a screenwriter and director, died by suicide in January 2025 at the age of 47, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

In an earlier interview on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Plaza reflected on coping with grief.

“I feel like I’m here and I’m functioning… I feel really grateful to be moving through the world,” she said, adding that it remains “a daily struggle”.

Since then, she has kept a relatively low public profile, stepping out only occasionally and easing back into professional commitments.

From breakout roles to recent work

Plaza first gained widespread recognition as April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation, before going on to build a varied film career. Her credits include Ingrid Goes West, Emily the Criminal and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

She is also set to appear in the upcoming project The Accompanist.

Plaza and Abbott have previously worked together on stage in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and in the 2020 film Black Bear.