Chris Abbott spoke out for the first time about expecting his first child with Aubrey Plaza.
“Can we say congratulations?” Jenna Bush Hager asked Abbott, 40, on the Monday, May 18, episode of Today With Jenna and Sheinelle. “You’re expecting a babe.”
Abbott joked, “I thought for my Tony nom! No, no, I’m kidding.”
Bush Hager, 44, noted that Abbott has “a lot going on” at the moment. (Abbott received a 2026 Tony Award nomination in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for his role as Biff in Death of a Salesman.)
Abbott noted that there’s “too much going on” in his life.
“We love Aubrey here,” Bush Hager continued. “We’re so happy for the both of you.”
Abbott responded, “That’s very nice. Thank you very much. It’s very exciting.”
Plaza’s rep confirmed to People last month that she and Abbott are expecting their first baby together. A source told the publication that the actress’ pregnancy was “a beautiful surprise” and the couple are “very blessed” to become first-time parents this fall.
Plaza and Abbott worked together in the 2020 thriller Black Bear and 2023 Off-Broadway revival of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea before things turned romantic between them. Instagram gossip account DeuxMoi reported in July 2025 that Plaza and Abbott were together after they were spotted at The Chatham Berry Farm just outside of New York City. They attended a New York Knicks game together later that same year.
Prior to their relationship, Plaza was married to the late Jeff Baena. Plaza had been separated from Baena for four months prior to his death by suicide at age 47 in January 2025.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Plaza’s rep told Us Weekly in a statement after Baena’s death. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
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Plaza discussed his death for the first time during an August 2025 appearance on Amy Poehler‘s “Good Hang” podcast.
“To get it out of the way, people wanna see you and see how you are,” Poehler said at the time. “They love you, and they wanna see you. You had this terrible, 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.”
She added, “On behalf of all of the people who feel like they know you, and the people who do know you, how are you feeling today?”
Plaza said she was “happy” to be with Poehler at the time before getting into a discussion about her grief.
“Overall, I’m here, and I’m functioning, and I feel grateful to be moving through the world,” Plaza. “I think, like, I’m OK, but it’s a daily struggle, obviously.”
