Aubrey Plaza is pregnant with her first baby a year after her husband’s death

In a deeply personal and unexpected turn, Aubrey Plaza is reportedly expecting her first child with actor Chris Abbott — a joyful milestone arriving after a profoundly challenging chapter in her life.

According to a source who spoke with People, the couple is preparing to welcome their baby this fall. The insider described the moment as both surprising and meaningful, sharing, “It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year. They feel very blessed.”

A representative for Plaza confirmed the pregnancy, marking a new beginning for the 41-year-old actress, who has spent the past year navigating grief following the loss of her late husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena.

A Love Story Rooted in Creative Collaboration

Plaza and Abbott, 40, share a creative history that has quietly evolved into a personal bond. The two previously worked together on the Off-Broadway revival of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and later reunited onscreen in the 2020 psychological drama “Black Bear.”

Their connection has largely remained private, but this pregnancy news signals a meaningful step forward in their relationship. Abbott is currently commanding attention on stage, starring in the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman alongside Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.

A Subtle Reveal at Paris Fashion Week

Interestingly, Plaza managed to keep her pregnancy under wraps during recent public appearances. Just last month, she attended Paris Fashion Week, sitting front row while concealing her baby bump in a series of oversized, fashion-forward looks.

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At the Loewe show, she opted for a roomy leather jacket layered over a red sweater and paired with booties. At Lacoste, she leaned into another relaxed silhouette, styling an orange polo with a mini skirt. The understated wardrobe choices now read as a carefully curated way to maintain privacy during the early stages of her pregnancy.

Grief, Healing, and Moving Forward

This new chapter comes after an intensely difficult period for Plaza. Baena, whom she began dating in 2011 and later married, passed away in January 2025 at the age of 47.

In a candid conversation on Good Hang with longtime friend Amy Poehler, Plaza offered rare insight into her emotional landscape following the loss. “Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” she shared. “Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m okay, but it’s like a daily struggle, obviously.”

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Her description of grief was strikingly vivid, drawing a comparison to the sci-fi thriller “The Gorge” starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. “There’s a cliff on one side, a cliff on the other side, and in the middle, this gorge filled with monsters,” Plaza explained. “That feels like what my grief is like. At all times there’s this giant ocean of awfulness right there. Sometimes I want to dive into it, sometimes I look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But it’s always there.”

A New Chapter Begins

The pregnancy signals resilience, renewal, and the complexity of moving forward after loss.

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For Plaza, whose career spans acclaimed projects like The White Lotus and Parks and Recreation, this moment adds a deeply human dimension to her public narrative. Balancing grief with hope, she appears to be stepping into a new phase defined by both healing and anticipation.

As the source close to the couple emphasized, this was not something they planned but something they are embracing fully. The sense of gratitude surrounding the news underscores just how significant this moment is for both Plaza and Abbott.