• Aubrey Plaza surprised fans at SNL 50 anniversary show
  • Marks first appearance since husband Jeff Baena’s sudden passing
  • Emotional fans have reacted to the moment online
Aubrey Plaza makes first public appearance during SNL 50 anniversary show.
Aubrey Plaza made first public appearance since her husband’s death during the SNL 50 anniversary show. Credit: Imago

Aubrey Plaza surprised fans with a brief appearance at yesterday’s star-studded SNL 50 anniversary show. She wasn’t on screen long but it managed to leave fans in bits.

Parks and Recreation star Plaza hasn’t been seen publicly since the sudden passing of her husband Jeff Baena earlier this year. The American scriptwriter and film director was found dead at his Los Angeles home on 3 January 2025. 

Read more: Aubrey Plaza pays tribute to late husband Jeff Baena 

Plaza responded to this devastating news shortly afterwards via a short statement. It read: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Read more: Jeff Baena, husband of Aubrey Plaza, dead at 47

Plaza’s small appearance at the SNL 50 anniversary show was the first time the star had appeared in front of cameras – and fans didn’t hold back when it came to showing their support.

Fans react to Aubrey Plaza SNL 50 appearance

Fans quickly took to social media to share their support for Plaza after she appeared on screen to introduce a musical performance by Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard.

The singers performed a rendition of Sinead O’Connor’s emotional Nothing Compares 2 U.

“So incredibly proud of this woman for being her truest self and keeping to whatever makes her feel comfortable,” said one user on X.

“Aubrey plaza making her first public appearance since the death of her husband, so incredibly proud”, said another.

“Aubrey plaza just quickly letting us know she’s doing okay,” said another, adding “has me sobbing”.

Others echoed the emotional resonance of the moment.

Aubrey Plaza pays tribute to late husband

Elsewhere, fans were quick to notice what appeared to be a small tribute to her late husband.

Plaza appeared in a simple black jacket. However, underneath fans noticed she was wearing a tie-dye tee shirt – something which Baena was reportedly a fan of.

In fact, his love for tie-dye even infiltrated the pair’s wedding. “We got married on a whim. Literally decided at around 5pm and got married at 8:30,” Plaza revealed during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2021.

“Jeff got really into tie-dyeing during the quarantine. So, I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us. I made a love altar in the backyard of all of our love objects. It was very witchcore, but it happened.”

author avatar
Simon Bland
Simon is a freelance entertainment journalist and SEO writer based in the UK. He writes about movies, TV and pop-culture and his work has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Beast, IndieWire, Yahoo Entertainment, Rolling Stone, Little White Lies and more.
See Full Bio