Actress Aubrey Plaza has given birth to her first child, a baby girl with boyfriend Christopher Abbott, roughly 19 months after the death of her estranged husband, director Jeff Baena.
Plaza was spotted carrying the newborn in New York City on Sunday after attending Abbott's final Broadway performance in "Death of a Salesman." A source close to the couple told People the baby arrived at the end of July, calling it "a beautiful surprise after an emotional year."
The 41-year-old "Parks and Recreation" star had revealed the pregnancy casually during an April appearance on the "Smartless" podcast, hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes. Plaza dropped the news mid-conversation while comparing her own doctor's visit to her dog's.
Fox News reported that Plaza, during the same podcast appearance, spoke openly about wanting to experience motherhood:
"I always wanted to see what that's all about. It just seems so interesting."
She had set up the announcement with characteristic dryness, telling the hosts about her day at the doctor and her dog's simultaneous vet appointment. Both got ultrasounds, she said, but only one of them had a baby inside.
As Plaza told the podcast hosts:
"Today was a big day. I went to the doctor's today, and my dog also went to the doctor's. And both of us, my dog's getting a scan right now. I got a scan earlier. I'm not kidding. She had to get an ultrasound on her stomach. And then I got an ultrasound on my stomach, and there is a baby in there."
The birth comes after a difficult stretch for Plaza. Her estranged husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, died by suicide in January 2025. The Sun noted the baby arrived roughly a year and a half after Baena's death. The couple's exact marital status at the time of his passing remains unclear, the source describes him as both her "late husband" and "estranged husband."
Plaza has also dealt with serious health challenges earlier in life. She suffered a stroke at age 20, which she has said she believes may have been linked to birth control medication.
Abbott, best known for his role in HBO's "Girls," had been performing on Broadway in "Death of a Salesman" in the weeks before the baby's birth. Plaza attended his final performance, and the two were photographed together in the city with their newborn daughter shortly after.
Plaza grew up in Delaware, attended an all-girls Catholic school, studied film at NYU, and performed improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade before landing the role of April Ludgate on "Parks and Recreation", the deadpan government employee who became a fan favorite. She has bristled at the "deadpan" label over the years.
As she told the New York Post in a 2017 profile:
"I don't think it really paints the whole picture. I think it's a very lazy term."
She went on to expand her range with roles in Marvel's FX series "Legion" and work behind the camera, producing two Sundance films, "Ingrid Goes West" and "The Little Hours." Few details about the baby's name or exact birth date have been made public.
After a year marked by grief and uncertainty, Plaza appears to have found what she said she was looking for, the chance to see what motherhood "is all about." For a woman who has weathered a stroke, a husband's death, and Hollywood's tendency to put people in boxes, a quiet new beginning seems well earned.
