Aubrey Plaza

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Even if you are not the biggest comedy fan, you have already heard the name of this genre’s modern queen, Aubrey Plaza. She gained enormous popularity after starring in the NBC comedy series “Parks and Recreation”. After that, Plaza extended her colossal fame and acted in such box office hits as the science fiction movie “Safety Not Guaranteed”, the series “Emily the Criminal” and “The White Lotus, etc. Her brilliant play in “The White Lotus” brought her an Emmy nomination. Besides, Aubrey gained wide recognition as a film producer and director. Thus, she has become a household name in both comedy and drama. Let’s look closer at those people who stood by Plaza’s side on her way to the top.

Jeff Baena (late husband)

Date of birth: June 29, 1977

Date of death: January 3, 2025

They say that when your parents die, your past dies. When your children die, your future dies. And when your life partner dies, your present dies. On January 3rd, 2025, Aubrey Plaza’s present died, as her husband, her soulmate, passed away. The tragedy became even greater because of the reason behind his death — he took his own life.

Several days later, Aubrey shared an official statement (with Baena’s family), where she expressed her sorrow about Jeff’s decision and asked for privacy. A week later, she deleted her Instagram account after rude and cruel comments from some followers.

That was a hard time in Plaza’s life. Baena has the part of her life since 2011. That year, they met and started dating. Aubrey and Jeff’s relationships were hidden from the public eye. The first news came in 2021 when they tied the knot during a lockdown. They were not just friends and lovers but also devoted collaborators. Jeff directed many movies with Aubrey, including the hits “Life After Beth” and “Spin Me Round”.

Jeff is the son of Scott Baena and Barbara Stern. His parents are divorced. Aubrey’s husband graduated from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. He broke into the movie industry as an assistant to the famous filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. Later, Jeff started working independently as a writer and film director. His first big deal, which brought him international fame, was the film “I Heart Huckabees”. The movie was successful and brought Baena initial popularity. Later, he created many great movies starring his famous wife.

It’s hard to tell what caused Baena’s decision to commit suicide. He stayed alone in his Los Angeles home when he made such a decision. It was his assistant who found him unresponsive and called 911. Thus, his death was confirmed.

Aubrey still keeps in her heart the super talented husband. Unfortunately, the couple had no kids.

Bernadette Plaza (mother)

Date of birth: March, 1963

Aubrey is not one of those celebrities, who had to overcome lots of family problems while growing up. On the contrary, in her numerous interviews, the actress said that her parents were friendly and supportive all her life.

Her mother’s name is Bernadette Plaza. She became a mother at a very young age. She was just 20 when Aubrey was born. That was not a planned pregnancy, but Bernadette and her baby’s father David made the right decision and took responsibility for their newborn. Later, David and Bernadette welcomed two other daughters: Natalie and Renee.

Aubrey’s parents divorced and parted ways when she was still a child. But she maintained close relationships with both of them. Once, Aubrey said that her parents taught her great work ethics. Starting from scratch, they have built nice careers.

Bernadette was a manager at a local grocery store when she crossed paths with David Plaza, Aubrey’s father. She combined hard work with studying at the night school. Then she went to Widener University School of Law, where she earned the qualification of a lawyer.

Aubrey’s mother is her role model. From Bernadette’s side, Aubrey has Irish ancestry.

David Plaza (father)

Date of birth: February, 1963

Aubrey’s father made several public appearances, supervising his daughter at public events. Thus, he was photographed by Aubrey’s side at the award ceremony arranged by the National Hispanic Media Coalition. By the way, David Ismael Plaza is of Puerto-Rican decent. He was just 20 years old when he became Aubrey’s father. He has achieved a lot since then. Having started from work at Wawa grocery (where he met Aubrey’s mother Bernadette), he then continued studying at Drexel University. There, David got a degree in finance and marketing. After that, he began his career as a successful financial adviser. Since 1989, he has been working at Merrill Lynch. Currently, he occupies the position of wealth management advisor there.

In 2017, David re-married his three-year girlfriend Mihaela Ghetau. Their luxurious marriage took place at a private club in Philadelphia. Aubrey and her sisters were present at the wedding ceremony.

Natalia Plaza (younger sister)

Date of birth: July 14, 1991

Aubrey was seven when she became a “big sister”. Then Natalie Michelle Plaza was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Natalie didn’t become an actress, like her older sister. She followed her dad’s steps and became a financial adviser. She was by her father’s side in the company Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Aubrey’s sister is very successful in her career. In 2023 she was part of the team, which made the wealth list for Forbes.

Natalie is an open lesbian. On June 1, 2023, she tied the knot with Zoë Worth. Zoe is involved in the filmmaking industry. Aubrey is on great terms with her younger sister. In her interviews, Aubrey confessed that she was inspired by her sister Natalie while she was building a conception of her screen hero April on “Parks and Recreation”.

Aubrey’s fans know Natalie very well as she appeared in numerous family photos Aubrey used to post on Instagram. She was also the “best man” at her dad’s wedding ceremony.

Renee Plaza (younger sister)

Date of birth: September 2, 1996

Renee is the youngest girl in the Plaza family. Aubrey was in her teens when her second sister entered her life.

Like her sisters, Renee spent her childhood in Delaware. Currently, she studies at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is studying psychology there. In 2025, Renee is going to get her doctoral degree in psychology.

Renee is passionate about studying human relationships. She shares a close bond with her older sister, Aubrey. Renee told about it during her visit to The Drew Barrymore Show.

Aubrey mentioned that not just Natalia but also her younger sister Renee served as the inspiration while she was creating her character on “Parks and Recreation”.