Aubrey Plaza is going to be a mum! Representatives for The White Lotus star have confirmed that she’s expecting her first child with actor Christopher Abbott.
The news feels especially significant given the past year. Plaza’s husband, screenwriter and director Jeff Baena, died by suicide in January 2025 at age 47, marking a period of profound personal loss for the actor.
In an August conversation with Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast, Plaza spoke openly about what it has meant to keep moving forward. “I mean, right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you,” she said.
“I feel overall, I’m here and I’m functioning, and I feel, you know, like I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m okay, but, you know, it’s a daily struggle.”
As with much of her personal life, Plaza has kept this next chapter largely out of view. Her relationship with Abbott, which grew out of years of working together, has unfolded quietly — so quietly, in fact, that many hadn’t realised the two were together.
If Abbott looks familiar, it’s likely because he’s spent years building a steady, considered career across stage and screen. He is currently appearing on Broadway in Death of a Salesman alongside Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.
On screen, his work moves between genres, with credits including Poor Things, The Testament of Ann Lee and Wolf Man. He also starred opposite Plaza in Black Bear, long before their relationship became public.
If you’re still placing him, it may be from Girls, where he played Charlie Dattolo, or the miniseries Catch-22. Next, he is set to appear in Netflix’s adaptation of East of Eden, alongside Florence Pugh.
Ahead, we look back at their relationship timeline, from co-stars to expecting parents.
Aubrey Plaza & Chris Abbott Relationship Timeline
2019: Aubrey Plaza & Chris Abbott Meet On The Set Of Black Bear
The two first crossed paths on the set of the psychological thriller Black Bear. Plaza stars as Allison, a filmmaker who retreats to a remote lake house run by a couple, played by Abbott and Sarah Gadon, in search of inspiration.
What unfolds is a taut, increasingly volatile dynamic, as the trio become entangled in a shifting, psychologically charged love triangle.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020.
January 2020: They Attend The Black Bear Premiere Party
The co-stars are photographed together at the Black Bear premiere party.
At the time, Plaza was in a long-term relationship with writer and director Jeff Baena, whom she began dating in 2011. The pair later married in 2021, opting for a spontaneous backyard ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023: They Reunite For Danny And The Deep Blue Sea
Following Black Bear, Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott reunited in 2023 for the Off-Broadway revival of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. This time, however, their dynamic shifted from film to stage, with Plaza making her stage debut in the two-person play.
The pair star as Roberta and Danny, two strangers from the Bronx navigating a raw, emotionally charged and often volatile connection. It’s an intimate production, one that relies entirely on the tension and chemistry between its leads, something Plaza herself has spoken to.
In an interview with The New York Times, she described Abbott as a rare kind of scene partner. “He cares, but he also doesn’t care; it’s the best recipe for me,” she said. “It’s fun and it’s also good and it’s also safe… It’s a hard combo to come by.”
Abbott, for his part, noted their shared willingness to push boundaries in performance. “We’re both unafraid to be ugly and weird and strange,” he said, adding that beyond the audience, their focus is also on each other. “We want to entertain the audience, but I personally want to entertain Aubrey.”
“I guess I like to entertain him as well,” Plaza added.
The production began previews on October 30, 2023, before opening on November 13 and running through January 13, 2024.
September 2024: Aubrey Plaza & Jeff Baena Quietly Separate
Plaza and Baena reportedly separated in September 2024.
While their relationship remained largely out of the public eye, she occasionally offered small glimpses into their dynamic. In a November 2022 interview with GQ, she spoke candidly about the realities of long-term partnership, reflecting on the parallels between her own life and her White Lotus character, Harper.
“I’ve been with my husband for 12 years,” she said. “I relate to being in a relationship that has peaks and valleys, and going through a rough patch and comparing yourself to another couple that seems perfect.”
On January 3, 2025, Baena died by suicide at age 47. In a statement shared three days later, Plaza said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
In February 2025, Plaza paid a quiet tribute to her late husband during SNL50: The Anniversary Special, wearing a tie-dye shirt that echoed the tie-dye pyjamas the couple wore on their wedding day.
It wasn’t until August 2025 that she spoke publicly about his death. Appearing on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, Plaza offered a rare insight into how she had been coping in the months since.
“At all times, there’s like a giant ocean of awfulness that’s like right there, and I can see it. And sometimes, I just want to dive into it and be in it,” she said.
“And then sometimes, I just look at it. And then sometimes, I’m just trying to get away from it. But it’s always there.”
July 2025: Speculation Of A New Romance
Celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi suggested that Plaza may have grown close to her former co-star, Christopher Abbott. The tip, submitted by an anonymous source, placed the pair at The Chatham Berry Farm, around two and a half hours outside New York City.
While unconfirmed, the sighting hinted at a possible shift in their relationship. According to the eyewitness, the two appeared comfortable and familiar, sitting closely at a picnic table, with Plaza at one point resting a hand on Abbott’s back — a gesture the source described as suggesting something “more than friends.”
April 2026: The Couple Are Expecting Their First Baby Together
On Tuesday, April 7, a source confirmed to People that Aubrey Plaza is expecting her first child with Christopher Abbott, with a representative for the actor also verifying the news.
Hours after the announcement, Plaza was photographed in New York City walking her dog, revealing her baby bump for the first time.
“It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year,” the source told People, adding that the couple “feel very blessed.”
Until then, Plaza had kept her pregnancy out of view, even while sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week just weeks earlier.
