Aubrey Plaza made her red carpet return following the death of her late husband, Jeff Baena.
Plaza, 40, stepped out on Friday, May 23, for the premiere of her new film Honey Don’t! at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival. While walking the red carpet, Plaza stunned in a sheer nude floor-length gown with a white strapless bodysuit underneath. The dress sparkled with multi-color beaded embellishments.
In addition to posing solo, Plaza was joined by her Honey Don’t! costars Margaret Qualley and Charlie Day. Writers Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke and other crew members also posed with the cast.
This was Plaza’s first red carpet since Baena died earlier this year at age 47.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” a spokesperson for Plaza told Us in a statement in January. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Later that month, Baena’s obituary was published in the Miami Herald.
“It is with profound sadness and grief that we announce the sudden and unexpected death of Jeff Baena, a beloved son, husband, brother, uncle and friend to many,” Baena’s obituary read. “Jeff left us too soon but despite his woefully too-short life, he left us with treasured memories of a gifted filmmaker, as well as a very special person on so many different levels.”
Following Baena’s tragic passing, Plaza canceled her appearance at the Golden Globes and deleted her Instagram. The actress has primarily stayed out of the public eye. In February, she made a rare public appearance at Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special. She subtly honored Baena during the appearance by wearing a tie-dye T-shirt — which Baena had a fondness for — underneath her blazer.
Plaza and Baena dated for nearly a decade before tying the knot in 2020. However, news in March that Plaza and Baena had quietly separated four months before his death. Despite separating, the twosome remained close and she requested a wellness check on him prior to his death, per a report from the medical examiner.
Honey Don’t! is Plaza’s first movie since Baena’s death. The dark comedy, which also stars Chris Evans, follows Honey O’Donahue (Qualley): a small-town P.I. delving into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church. Evans plays a corrupt religious leader whom Qualley is investigating. While details of Plaza’s role are under wraps, the trailer revealed she plays a “mystery woman” involved with the police department.
