How Aubrey Plaza’s SNL 50 Tie-Dye Shirt Honors Late Jeff Baena

Aubrey Plaza appeared to pay tribute to her late husband, Jeff Baena, during her SNL 50: The Anniversary Special appearance.

While introducing performers Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard on Sunday, February 16, Plaza, 40, wore a pink tie-dyed T-shirt underneath a black blazer. (The two musicians performed a musical tribute to Sinead O’Connor with an acoustic cover of “Nothing Compares to U.”)

The groovy get-up appeared to be a subtle tribute to Baena, who died last month.

“We got married on a whim. Literally decided around 5 p.m. [and] got married at 8:30,” Plaza said during a December 2021 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “So, Jeff got really into tie-dying during the [coronavirus] quarantine, so I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us.”

Plaza accessorized her ceremony outfit with a “rosemary crown” atop her head when they tied the knot in 2020.

“I made, like, a love altar in the backyard of all our love objects [and] it was very witch-core,” Plaza explained to host Drew Barrymore.

News broke on January 4 that Baena, an indie filmmaker who frequently collaborated with Plaza, died by suicide. He was 47.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” a spokesperson for Plaza told Us Weekly in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Plaza had started dating Baena in 2011. Her brief appearance at SNL 50 — she did not walk the red carpet or appear in any additional sketches — marked her first public appearance since Baena’s death.

Aside from her brief statement in January, Plaza has not further addressed her husband’s death publicly.

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