Aubrey Plaza Expecting First Child with Partner Christopher Abbott
Aubrey Plaza is preparing for a new role: motherhood. A representative for the “The White Lotus” star confirmed on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, that she is expecting her first child this fall with partner Christopher Abbott.
The couple, who have generally kept their relationship private, share a deep professional history. Plaza and Abbott first collaborated on the 2020 psychological drama Black Bear before starring together in the 2023-2024 off-Broadway production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Plaza previously noted that the two connected while working on the play in 2023.
Speaking on their dynamic, Plaza told The New York Times, “He cares, but he also doesn’t care; it’s the best recipe for me for a scene partner. It’s fun and it’s also good, and it’s also safe. I like to just throw things out the window, also, and laugh and mess around and not take it so seriously. It’s a hard combo to come by.” She added that both she and Abbott are “unafraid to be ugly and weird and strange.”
The news of the pregnancy comes during a period of transition for the 41-year-old actress. Plaza is expecting her first baby just over a year after the death of her estranged husband, director Jeff Baena, in January 2025. Plaza and Baena, who began dating in 2011 and married in 2021, had quietly separated in September 2024. The pair were frequent creative collaborators, working together on projects such as Life After Beth (2014), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2022), and Spin Me Round.
Following Baena’s passing, Plaza expressed the difficulty of dealing with her grief, while a joint statement from Plaza and the Baena family described the loss as an “unimaginable tragedy.”
As she prepares for parenthood, Plaza may already have the perfect reading material ready. The Parks and Recreation alum is the author of two children’s books: 2021’s The Legend of the Christmas Witch and the 2022 sequel The Return of the Christmas Witch. Plaza previously shared on The Drew Barrymore Show in October that the books were inspired by her own habit of pranking friends’ children by posing as the Christmas Witch and attempting to “steal their presents” on Christmas morning.
The announcement marks a joyful new chapter for Plaza and Abbott, as they await the arrival of their first child.
