Aubrey Plaza is reportedly expecting her first child with partner Chris Abbott, marking a joyful milestone for the actress. The news comes a little over a year after the passing of her husband, Jeff Baena, highlighting a new chapter in her personal life. Plaza and Abbott have remained private about their relationship, keeping their romance largely out of the public eye.
Inside Aubrey Plaza’s ‘Beautiful Surprise’
On April 7, an insider confirmed to PEOPLE magazine that Aubrey Plaza is expecting her first child with her partner, actor Chris Abbott. “It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year,” the source revealed, adding that the couple feels “very blessed.”
The source didn’t reveal how far along Plaza is in her pregnancy, but said the baby is due in the fall.
Plaza and Abbott have maintained a private relationship, and it’s unclear when they began dating. However, they’ve been spotted together on several occasions. In February, they attended New York Fashion Week and sat in the front row together at one of the shows. A month later, Plaza attended Paris Fashion Week shows donning an oversized top that concealed her midsection.
The Couple Worked Together In The Past
Plaza and Abbott have worked together before, first collaborating on the 2020 psychological thriller “Black Bear,” directed by Lawrence Michael Levine and co-produced by the actress.
In it, Plaza played Allison, a filmmaker struggling with personal conflicts, and Abbott portrayed Gabriel, a troubled man who pushes Allison’s boundaries. In an interview with Variety in 2020, Plaza said she wanted Abbott to be in the movie. She had never met the actor before, but had seen him in the 2015 drama film “James White.” She wrote him a letter, and he agreed to be in “Black Bear.”
The two also worked together in the theater production “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” from 2023 to 2024, where Plaza, making her stage debut, portrayed the role of Roberta opposite Abbott’s Danny.
Back then, the “Parks and Recreation” actress said she was “nervous” to star in her first professional theater performance, but agreed to do it for the love of the story and the character. It was also another opportunity to work with Abbott, whom she described as “one of the best actors around.”
Aubrey Plaza’s Husband Died In 2025
On January 3, 2025, Plaza’s husband, Jeff Baena, was discovered deceased in his Los Angeles home. It was later determined that the 47-year-old filmmaker died by suicide, as previously reported by The Blast.
Plaza and Baena began dating in 2011 but kept their romance largely out of the public eye. The couple collaborated on several projects during their relationship, including “Life After Beth,” “Joshy,” and “Spin Me Round.” In 2021, Plaza casually referred to Baena as her “darling husband” in an Instagram post, sparking marriage rumors.
In an interview on “The Ellen Show” in 2021, Plaza shared the story of her “spontaneous” wedding, telling the host that she and Baena married in their backyard on a whim, hiring an officiant online. “It was our 10-year anniversary, we were in the lockdown,” she said, adding that it was a “crazy” time.
The actress created a “love altar” in the yard while Baena picked up food from a restaurant, and they were married by a man in a Hawaiian shirt.
The Couple Was Separated When Jeff Baena Died
Following Baena’s death, it was revealed that the couple had been separated for months, explaining Plaza’s absence from their home. According to reports, the couple split in September 2024, with Plaza moving to New York.
Several months later, the actress opened up about the tragic incident on former co-star Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast. At that time, Plaza said she was happy in that specific moment, but admitted to still struggling with her grief.
“Overall, I’m here and functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m okay, but it’s like a daily struggle, obviously,” Plaza explained, comparing her feelings to a gorge. “At all times there’s like this giant ocean of awfulness,” she added.
Aubrey Plaza’s Upcoming Projects
Plaza has been busy with a slew of projects, with the adult animated series “Kevin” she co-created with Joe Wengert premiering on Prime Video on April 20.
The actress is also producing and starring in “The Heidi Fleiss Story,” a film focusing on the life of Heidi Fleiss, also known as the Hollywood Madam, who ran an upscale and exclusive prostitution ring in Los Angeles in the ’90s.