Aubrey Plaza appears at 'SNL 50' special, in first appearance after Jeff Baena's death
"Saturday Night Live" turned 50 this weekend, and to celebrate all its most famous alumni returned to the stage.
From fresher faces like Kate McKinnon and John Mulaney, to seasoned veterans like Adam Sandler and Tina Fey − studio 8H welcomed back some of comedy's biggest names.
Among them was also Aubrey Plaza, once an intern on the show and a page for NBC, making her first public appearance since the death of her husband Jeff Baena earlier this year.
In a tie-dyed shirt and black blazer, Plaza introduced Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard for their performance of Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" − one of several star-studded musical tributes throughout the night.
Paul McCartney also performed as did Sabrina Carpenter − albeit in a comedy bit punctuated by new cast member Marcello Hernández. The special followed a separate concert to honor the anniversary Friday which featured performances from Cher, Lady Gaga and Ms. Lauryn Hill (to name a few.)
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Baena, a filmmaker and director who wed Plaza in 2021, died by suicide on Jan. 4. He was 47.
"This is an unimaginable tragedy," a statement on behalf of Plaza and the Baena family provided to Paste BN at the time said. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
Plaza, who was scheduled to present at the Golden Globes the following day, bowed out of the awards show, making Sunday her first televised appearance since the tragedy.
She did not appear on the red carpet leading up to the event.