A year and seven months after her husband's death: Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott are parents

A year and seven months after her late husband, director and screenwriter Jeff Baena, took his own life at the age of 47, Aubrey Plaza (The White Lotus) and her partner, actor Christopher Abbott (Girls), have officially become parents. According to reports, the 42-year-old actress gave birth to their first daughter about two weeks ago, in late July.

The actress and 40-year-old Abbott, who is currently starring in the Broadway revival of the classic play Death of a Salesman, welcomed their daughter four months after it was first revealed that Plaza was pregnant. In photos obtained by TMZ, the actress is seen carrying the baby while leaving the theater where Abbott performs—his final show before taking time off to help with the newborn.

The new parents, who received the news as an exciting surprise after a complex year, have known each other for years. They previously collaborated on the off-Broadway stage and worked together in the summer of 2019 on the independent film Black Bear, which they later presented at the Sundance Film Festival.

Baena, whom Plaza married in 2021, was a prominent creator in American independent cinema. In January of last year, his body was found in his home. More than half a year later, Plaza admitted that grief is something she continues to navigate:

"Sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to run away from it, but it is always there."

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