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Audrey Plaza's 'gorge' analogy of grief after her husband's suicide is resonating with people

People who've been through a tragic loss are feeling seen in her interview with Amy Poehler.

Images via Wikipedia/Xfranksun, Joe Mabel

Aubrey Plaza opens up on her husband Jeff Baena's death.

Actress Aubrey Plaza gave fans a heartfelt update on her grief journey seven months after losing her husband Jeff Baena to suicide. Plaza, 41, reunited with her iconic Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler on her Good Hang podcast, where she opened up on life and grieving since her husband passed on Jan. 3, 2025.

In an emotional clip, Poehler gently opens the conversation with Plaza to share how she is doing. "To just, to get it out of the way. People want to see you and see how you are. They love you," she says, as she extends her hand out to Plaza to hold with a reassuring "I know" as they clasp hands. As she does, Plaza lets out some uncomfortable laughs, as Poehler continues. "They love you and they want to see you."

Poehler adds, "So, you've had this terrible, tragic year. You lost your husband. You've been dealing with that, and you've been looking for all different ways in which to feel and find support. And on behalf of all the people who feel like they know you and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Plaza openly responds, petting her dog Frankie who joined her for the interview. "I mean right in this very present moment I feel happy to be with you. Overall I'm here and I'm functioning, and I feel really grateful to be moving through the world," she says.

She continued, "I think I'm okay. But you know, it's like a daily struggle, obviously."

She goes on to explain how grief has impacted her with a "really dumb analogy." "It was a joke at a certain point, but I actually mean it. Did you see that move The Gorge?" she asks Poehler, who explains its an alien movie starring actor Miles Teller.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"In the movie there's like a cliff on one side and a cliff on the other side, and then there's a gorge in-between and it's filled with like these monster people that are trying to get them. And I swear when I watched it, I was like, 'That feels like what my grief is like'," Plaza shared. "Or what grief could be like."

She continued, "It's like at all times there's a giant ocean of just awfulness that's like right there and I can see it. And sometimes I just wanna like dive into it and just be in it. And then sometimes I just look at it. And then sometimes I just try to get away from it. But it's always there. It's just always there."

Plaza's beautiful description of grief was praised by fans who applauded not just her openness, but her relatable explanation. "💯 The way she described how grief is always there (in different forms) resonates so much," one wrote. Another shared, "Her self soothing with petting the animal under the desk (I assume) is so relatable."

Fans also opened up about how they were inspired by her honesty. "Agreed. About two years ago, I lost my husband to suicide when I was 29 and he was 30. It’s a terrible experience I would not wish on my worst enemy, and I’m so sad Aubrey Plaza is going through this as well. It’s an isolating experience not many can relate to and her being open makes me feel seen and less alone," another commented.

Another added, "That’s a great description of grief actually. The way she responded to the question at the beginning really resonated with me. When I lost my mom i wasn’t devastated all the time but also I wasn’t exactly doing good inside. So when asked, I would just try to answer how i felt at that very moment because I couldn’t go into how I was really feeling on the inside. And « I’m functioning » was a common answer for me."

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'Alone Australia' winner beautifully describes her grief after losing 3-year-old to cancer

"Death is a doorway…"

The Imperfect Podcast/Instagram (courtesy of Gina Chick @gigiamazonia)

Gina Chick shares her grief journey on The Imperfect Podcast.

Losing a child is every parent's worst fear, one that most of us don't dare try to imagine. But it happens, and there's wisdom in listening to those who have experienced it rather than avoiding the subject altogether. Everyone's grief journey is different, of course, and bereaved parents may be at any phase of that journey at any given time, but it's enlightening to hear from someone who's traveled far enough down their own path of grief to be able to reflect and put into words how it's affected them.

Australian author and Alone Australia winner Gina Chick is one of those people. She lost her three-year-old daughter Blaise to cancer 10 years ago and shares what coming to terms with that loss has been like for her.

"Having and losing Blaise has given me the resilience to dance with life in ways I never would have imagined," Chick wrote for ABC Australia in 2023. "Dancing with grief over the past decade has taught me how to be with what is, rather than what I wish could be. Or should be. It's taught me to turn a challenge inside out to find the blessing in the lesson."

Chick, who spent 67 days alone in the Tasmanian wilderness to win on Alone, was a guest on The Imperfect Podcast.. When the host asked her what it's like to lose a child, her response was just beautiful.

"I can't say what it's like to lose a child, but I can say what it's like to lose mine," she said. "The actual losing part, death, is such a doorway. And a body without someone in it is like, oh, like I understood life by having my daughter not have it in her body anymore."

"It was such a visceral and profound experience. To be able to midwife her out of life with the same presence that we brought her in was beautiful," she said. "And I said yes. I said yes to the grief. I said yes to that journey. And it meant that whenever I was grieving, I just went with it."

Chick explains that she has expressed her grief in every possible way, which is what makes her able to talk about it so calmly now.

"I can honestly say that having her was the greatest gift of my life, and losing her was the second greatest gift of my life," she said. "Because of her and because of losing her, I am stronger, I am calmer, I have more presence, I have more ability to hold people, I have more compassion. I'm a much better human. And the gift of her leaving is a gift that I walk around with every day, so every person who I touch or speak to, that's her. So, it's like her gift is me in the world, or me in the world is her gift."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

People were deeply moved by her answer.

"I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything this profound and beautiful and brutal and uplifting."

"Beautiful words ❤️ I feel this very much! I lost my angel daughter 14 months ago."

"I'm stunned by this post that I just found while randomly scrolling. Your words have spoken what I have felt in my heart, but can rarely verbalise accurately. Kissing my son's forehead while he laid on the mortuary bench, I've never shaken off the knowing that even though I was holding and kissing him, *he* wasn't there. Also, I rarely say this, but perversely, his loss was the greatest gift I've ever had. His loss taught me about love and humanity in a way that I would never have learned in an entire lifetime of living. Thank you for this wonderful post. You've touched the heart of a stranger in Ireland with this, and I am grateful to you for it."

"Wow. this woman is the embodiment of what it is to be able to appreciate the depth of tragedy, sit with it, process it, and come out on the other side with having your understanding transformed without your heart being hardened. It's such a rare thing to be able to witness - thank you for sharing!"

grief, death, loss, gina chick, aloneGrieving the loss of a loved one is uniquely personal.Photo credit: Canva

Many people who have lost children or other close loved ones shared that Chick's words brought them a sense of peace. But the writer had more to say, adding additional commentary to her video after thousands of people responded.

"I’d like to add something, for anyone who is going through deep loss and has been touched or triggered by this reel…

Losing someone who is woven into your cells, your being, your entire life, is something I would never want anyone to feel. And yet, so many of us are here. Feeling the unfeelable. Accepting the unacceptable. Thinking the unthinkable. Bearing the unbearable.

I do not for one second think or say my journey is like anyone else’s. Grief is as individual as a fingerprint. A heart print. We all do the best we can with what we have. Sometimes hopeless, sometimes numb, sometimes rage full, sometimes graceful, mostly graceless and clumsy and awful. Often all of these in one day. Hanging on by our fingernails. One day at a time.

In this clip I’ve spoken only about my journey and lessons. I don’t presume for a heartbeat that anyone else will have the same response. Grief has its own mystery.

For me, part of my journey has been a gradual acceptance of the gifts of grief. Grief is the flipside of the coin of love. The size of our grief is the size of our love for that which has been lost. That’s how big the pain is.

grief, love, grieving losing a loved one, losing a child, gina chick"Grief is the flipside of the coin of love." - Gina ChickPhoto credit: Canva

Leaning into it has brought me solace. For others it may be the opposite. Whatever gets us through, that’s all that matters.

We live in a culture that has lost its rituals and ceremonies. We don’t have a roadmap for grief.
People don’t know what to say to us. We can feel alone and lost.

I send deepest love and respect to anyone on this path of raw pure pain and loss, however it looks. I can’t know your individual flavour of pain, but I send you love, and I say I see you, and this sucks so hard, and I’m sorry you’re going through this, and I hope you find some peace, somewhere, in the storm.

The gifts I’ve discovered here for myself are wrought in blood and anguish. I’ve collected them slowly, and they give me stepping stones through my grief. But I would be horrified to think anyone would compare their own process and think this is right or wrong. It’s just my way. Every path is the right one, because it’s ours.

grief, grief journey, path of healing, losing a loved one, gina chick"Every path is the right one, because it’s ours." - Gina ChickPhoto credit: Canva

I urge everyone on this thread to treat each other’s paths and hearts with exquisite kindness. The pain of losing someone who is part of you is indescribable.

Let’s hold each other with tenderness and compassion, and be each other’s lights in the dark."

You can find more of Gina's grief journey in her book, We Are the Stars: A misfit's story of love, connection and the glorious power of letting go on her website ginachick.com. And you can find her full interview on The Imperfect Podcast.

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Wife eats last meal her husband made before his death in emotional video

"I'll forever miss his cooking 😭"

sabfortony/TikTok

Sabrina (@sabfortony) eats the last meal her husband Tony cooked for her before he passed away.

Losing someone you love never gets easier, and the grief process comes in waves. One way TikToker Sabrina (@sabfortony) got to honor her husband Tony's memory was by eating the last meal he cooked for her the day he died.

Sabrina shared the emotional video with her followers on TikTok. "I’ll forever miss Tony’s cooking," she captioned the video, adding, "Let's eat my late husband's last meal together."

@sabfortony

i’ll forever miss tony’s cooking #lastmeal #moving #griefjourney #healingjourney #lifeafterloss #partnerloss

It begins with Sabrina holding a small quart-sized plastic container up to the camera, and she begins to describe its significance. "I have something very special here. The day that Tony passed away, I really wanted curry–and I wanted Japanese curry, so I asked Tony to make me some and he did," she says. "I ended up freezing it because I wanted to preserve it forever. But because I'm moving out of state, I need to eat this. I know some of you might think that is crazy cuz it's been over two years. Tony was the primary cook of our family, and so anytime I was craving something he would make it for me. That was one of the many ways that he showed love for me."

She then heats up the bowl of curry so that it is "scalding hot," noting that it has "turned to mush" before she tastes it. "Thank you Tony for my last meal in this home," she says. "And my apologies that I am raw-dogging this–I don't have any rice."

TikTok · Sabrina 🫶🏼

tiktok couple, love story, widow, last meal, emotional TikTok · Sabrina 🫶🏼www.tiktok.com

160.8K likes, 1635 comments. “I never want to forget what we had, ❤️ so I choose to tell our story. My heart breaks for the ones who’ve faced a similar tragedy.”

As she tastes it, she is delighted. "Mmm! Still good," she says. "This has carrots, onions, potatoes, beef, and he put mushrooms in it. Beef is still very tender!" As she gets to the last bite, she says, "Thank you, Tony!"

Sabrina's emotional video got an overwhelming response in the comments.

"🥺🥺🥺 last meal in the home you shared together 🥺," one wrote, and Sabrina replied, "😭 he knew i needed it 💗."

Another wrote, "Just thinking how his hands cut the ingredients and his heart cooked it with love made me sob. What a beautiful moment." Sabrina responded, "so much love 😭😭 it’s so special."

Another viewer commented, "He’s sending you off to the next chapter with love 🥹❤️," and Sabrina replied, "so true 😭 i’m so thankful for that."

Other viewers shared their personal stories of how food connected them with lost loved ones. "I kept my mom’s kimchi for as long as I could. I ate it the night I got my heartbroken and felt so comforted. Food is such a strong connection to those we know we can’t hold anymore," one shared. Sabrina replied, "food really is such a beautiful way to connect with people 😭 i’m glad your moms kimchi was a source of comfort 💗 she is with you always."

Another viewer shared, "When my grandmother knew she was sick, before she told anybody, she baked, cooked, froze, and canned until the pantry and freezer were full. After she died my grandfather ate her meals for a year." Sabrina responded, "what a beautiful soul 💗 caring for the people she loves."

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Novice painter becomes accidental sought after artist when her grief painting  goes viral

"I know nothing. I know nothing about anything. I don't know what I'm doing."

Photo credit: Canva

Grieving novice painter becomes accidental art sensation

Painting is a skill honed over time but everyone has to start at the beginning before they become a master at the craft. But when someone's starting out they're bound to have a lot of questions. What kind of paints are best for canvas, which paper should you use for water colors, how do you turn a brown blob into something that resembles a dog?

Questions abound when you're just picking up a paintbrush, which is exactly what Bethany Kehoe turned to the art community for when her mysteriously dark blue painting didn't turn out like she had hoped. Online communities are generally extremely helpful when someone is seeking meaningful advice but like any community, you're bound to get varying answers.

Kehoe was prepared for conflicting advice and even some rude comments about her painting. But when the mom uploaded the fully covered canvas asking for help to make it better, she was flabbergasted by the response. People weren't mean at all, instead they were moved to tears at the beauty of the deeply blue painting.

a group of people standing in front of a paintingArt brings community. Photo by Jessica Pamp on Unsplash

The woman was so overwhelmed by the attention she was getting from the painting that she refused to read her messages after a few art curators began asking to purchase it for galleries. Kehoe took to social media to express her disbelief over the response to her attempt at painting using deep blues.

"I paint as a hobby for fun. I took up oil painting last year, been about a year since I started. Sometimes post my work on Reddit on an oil painting subreddit because they give really good constructive criticism. I posted a painting last week that I was just like, 'is this too dark or whatever.' Now it is the second highest post of all time on that subreddit," the artist says in disbelief.

@bethany.kehoe

#storytime #oilpainting #reddit #reddit_tiktok #art

Kehoe adds, "People messaging me saying like my art made them feel something for the first time in a long time. People that work at galleries or art conservators or something...I didn't even know that was a thing, are like I'd like to buy it."

In a follow up video, the surprised woman shares that she's been using painting to help her through her infertility struggles, revealing that particular painting is born from immense grief after losing a seventh pregnancy. She explains her emotional state was extremely fragile during the painting of what is now called "Prussian Blue." The painting is hauntingly beautiful with a depth that can't be described. In many ways the painting looks like a dark storm rolling in over a calm body of water, while for others it may look like light attempting to break through the eerie darkness.

@bethany.kehoe

Part 2 - sorry this is long. Website is up BethanyKehoe.com #storytime #reddit #redditstories #update #art

It certainly doesn't look like it is something created by an artist still describing themselves as a beginner. People who stayed to listen to the woman struggling with what to do with her newfound artist stardom were equally as flummoxed as Kehoe. No one was prepared for the beauty displayed at the end of her video where she reveals the finished canvas.

One person writes, "this painting is so many people's soul. blue hour is my all time favorite. I've been looking for this painting for my bedroom. Please, sell prints."

"As soon as I saw the painting I understood why it has so many likes. Definitely make prints of this one. Maybe even a series.

Trust it's loved for a reason," another shares.

On the easel. Too dark?
byu/oatmealhater inoilpainting

Someone shares wise words from Nirvana front man, "Kurt Cobain once said he had no clue how to properly play the guitar, never learned to read music. It doesn't matter, it's what you create that counts."

"Girl… I was skeptical at first thinking it would be something trendy or generic but my goodness the redditors were right my jaw dropped and I feel like it’s magic I get de ja vu from it somehow," someone else chimes in.

gif of woman crying saying, "It's so beautiful."Sad Happy Endings GIF by HyperXGiphy

Several people encouraged the new artist to keep the painting for herself, only allowing galleries to rent the artwork while making prints to sell with her original signature. Kehoe decided to listen to the people who seem to have her best interest in mind. The woman put together a website to sell her artwork and is now working with a printer to make prints of her viral painting, "Prussian Blue."

While the grieving mom may be a little insecure about her budding talent, it's abundantly clear to those around her that she has what it takes to hang alongside the best. You can check out some of her work for sale on her website Bethany Kehoe Art.

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