Aubrey Plaza has built a career around unpredictable characters and wonderfully dry humor, and parts of her personal story have been equally unexpected. The Parks and Recreation star has generally kept her relationships away from constant public attention, revealing major details only occasionally. One of her earliest known romances involved a fellow actor who later became a close friend. She subsequently spent more than a decade with filmmaker Jeff Baena, who also became an important creative collaborator. More recently, Plaza entered a new chapter of her life with actor Christopher Abbott and became a mother for the first time.
Plaza dated Michael Cera after the pair worked together on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Their relationship lasted about 18 months, and the two once considered spontaneously getting married during a trip through Las Vegas. The idea was deliberately ridiculous. They planned to marry and quickly divorce so they could jokingly refer to one another as former spouses. The wedding never happened, but Plaza has said that she and Cera remained good friends after their relationship ended.
In 2011, Plaza began a relationship with writer and director Jeff Baena. Their connection became both personal and professional, with Plaza appearing in several of his projects, including Life After Beth, The Little Hours, and Spin Me Round. The couple quietly married in 2021 after approximately a decade together. They separated in September 2024. Baena died in January 2025 at the age of 47, bringing a deeply painful chapter to Plaza’s life.
Plaza had already shared a creative connection with Christopher Abbott before reports of their romance emerged. The actors starred together in the 2020 psychological drama Black Bear and reunited for the 2023 Off Broadway production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Their working relationship was built on mutual trust and a willingness to embrace uncomfortable or unusual material. In April 2026, representatives confirmed that Plaza and Abbott were expecting their first child together.
Their baby arrived in August 2026, making Plaza a first time mother. The milestone represents a significant new chapter after several years marked by major personal changes. From an almost wedding with Cera to a long creative partnership and marriage with Baena, and now parenthood with Abbott, Plaza’s personal journey has unfolded largely outside the usual celebrity spotlight. That privacy has allowed her to reveal major moments on her own terms, while keeping the focus firmly on the work and relationships that matter most to her.
