Aubrey Plaza fans detect 'sweet' tribute to late husband Jeff Baena

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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Aubrey Plaza paid a heartfelt tribute to her late husband Jeff Baena in her first public appearance since his death.

Baena, who was an award-winning filmmaker, died by suicide on 3 January at his home in Los Angeles.

The White Lotusactor appeared at SNL’s 50th anniversary event in New York City on Sunday (16 February) to introduce musical guests Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard while wearing a black blazer with a tie-dye shirt underneath.

While the actor kept the look simple, fans were quick to notice that the tie-dye shirt was a homage to the late filmmaker, since Plaza had previously spoken about Baena’s love for tie-dying – and that they wore his designs for their wedding.

During a December 2021 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Plaza shared that instead of wearing traditional wedding attire for their impromptu lockdown nuptials at home that year, they decided to wear the tie-dye pyjamas that Baena had made instead.

“We got married on a whim. Literally decided at around 5pm and got married at 8:30,” she explained at the time. “Jeff got really into tie-dyeing during the quarantine. So, I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us. I made a love altar in the backyard of all of our love objects. It was very witchcore, but it happened.”

Noticing the tie-dye shirt homage to her husband, one fan wrote online: “So incredibly proud of this woman for being her truest self and keeping to whatever makes her feel comfortable.”

Another added: “Aubrey Plaza surprise guest on SNL + wearing Jeff’s shirt…made me cry.”

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One person wrote: “It was so good to see Aubrey there.”

The pair started dating in 2011 and wed in 2021. They were frequent work partners throughout their relationship and marriage, with Plaza starring in Baena’s horror-comedy film Life After Beth, which was nominated for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize.

They worked together again on the medieval dark comedy The Little Hours, starring husband-and-wife Alison Brie and Dave Franco. In 2020, Brie and Plaza co-starred again in the biggest commercial hit of Baena’s career, Horse Girl, which follows an introverted young woman whose dreams slowly start to take over her reality.

Baena’s last film Spin Me Round, premiered in 2022 and also starred Plaza and Brie.

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A joint statement shared by Plaza’s family following Baena’s death said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Baena achieved recognition when he co-wrote the 2004 film I Heart Huckabees with director David O Russell, receiving a Gotham Award nomination for Best Feature.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you