Wilmington’s daughter Aubrey Plaza is pregnant with her first child
The 'Parks and Rec' star is in a relationship with actor Chris Abbott. The couple worked together in 2020's "Black Bear"
Wilmington-raised actor Aubrey Plaza is pregnant and expecting her first child with her partner, Girls actor Chris Abbott.
The baby is due this fall, People reported this week.
Best known for her unforgettably grumpy character April Ludgate on Parks and Recreation, Plaza has more recently appeared in the witchy Marvel show Agatha All Along, the comedy-noir Honey Don’t!, the murder-on-vacation mystery series The White Lotus, and the offbeat scam thriller Emily the Criminal.
Her latest project is Kevin, an adult animated comedy about a cat that she’s written and executive produced. It premieres April 20 on Prime Video.
Plaza and Abbott’s relationship was not publicly known before the announcement. The pair has worked together in the past on the 2020 psychological drama Black Bear and a 2023 production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea off Broadway.
The two “feel very blessed,” a source told People.
In September 2024, Plaza separated from her husband Jeff Baena, who died by suicide in January 2025. Plaza said in a statement that it was “an unimaginable tragedy.” She also spoke about her experience with grief with her fellow Parks and Rec star Amy Poehler on the podcast, Good Hang, last fall.
The source said the pregnancy was “a beautiful surprise after an emotional year.”
Though she lives in Los Angeles, Plaza regularly visits family in Wilmington, a town she calls a “magical little gem in the country.” She began acting at the Wilmington Drama League in the 1990s and also competed in Irish dancing.
The comedian made local headlines last fall when she appeared courtside at a New York Liberty game in Brooklyn wearing a T-shirt spotlighting Philly’s planned WNBA team, expected to debut in 2030: “Philly is a Women’s Sports Town. Est. 2030.”
Plaza also recently released a children’s book about a young girl who wants to be a bruja like her Puerto Rican grandmother, called Luna and The Witch Throw a Halloween Party. It was inspired by Plaza’s own grandmother, as the actor explained on the Today show: “She taught me from a very young age that life is a party, and no matter what happens, we have to have fun and move forward.”