Aubrey Plaza made her first public appearance since the death of her husband. On Sunday, the actress made a cameo on “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” to introduce Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard as musical guests. The introduction marked the first time she has publicly been seen since her husband Jeff Baena died by suicide last month.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Aubrey Plaza is going back to where it all started.
During the 50th anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live," the former "SNL" intern and NBC Page came back to 30 Rock to introduce Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard for their performance of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Indeed, the "Parks and Recreation" actress’ return to the sketch comedy show after hosting in 2023 marked her first major appearance since her husband Jeff Baena tragically died by suicide last month at 47. She had previously been set to present at the 2025 Golden Globes on Jan. 5, which she missed due to his death two days prior.
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"This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Plaza and Baena's family — including mom Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena — said in a joint statement at the time. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
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And in addition to her "SNL" family that surrounded her during the sketch comedy show’s golden anniversary celebration — which included "Parks and Recreation" costar Amy Poehler — many in Hollywood have shared touching tributes to Jeff, including fellow "SNL" alum Molly Shannon, who frequently collaborated with the director on films like "The Little Hours," "Spin Me Round" and "Life After Beth." She shared several photos of the two to her Instagram Jan. 4, captioning the pics with a broken heart emoji.
Adam Pally — who also worked with Jeff on "The Little Hours" and "Life After Beth" as well as his 2016 movie "Joshy" — shared his own moving message, writing on Instagram Jan. 5, "Jeff Baena was a sweet, Jewish boy from Miami. He was a collaborator, a mentor, the scrappiest basketball player with the ugliest jump shot you ever saw."
"My heart breaks for my friend Aubrey and the Baena family," he continued, "and for all of us who spent time on his sets or at his house or in his orbit."
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