Aubrey Plaza made her first public appearance since the death of her husband, director Jeff Baena, by briefly introducing a musical performance during SNL50 on Feb. 16. Standing in the audience, she welcomed Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard to the stage before they performed “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Plaza wore a blazer over a tie-dyed shirt, a nod to Baena’s love for tie-dying, which she had previously shared in a 2021 interview.

Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza.

Baena died by suicide on Jan. 3, and his family later released a statement thanking supporters and requesting privacy. A filmmaker and writer, he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees and directed projects like Horse Girl and Cinema Toast. He frequently collaborated with Plaza on films such as Life After Beth and The Little Hours.

During the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, director Brady Corbet acknowledged Baena’s passing in his acceptance speech, offering support to Plaza and Baena’s family. Plaza, who was an NBC page early in her career, previously hosted SNL in January 2023.