Authorities have confirmed that filmmaker Jeff Baena, husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, died by suicide. Baena, 47, was found at his Los Feliz residence in California by his assistant on Friday, according to officials.
Baena was widely recognised for his creative contributions to the film industry, having directed and co-written several notable films. His works include Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), Spin Me Round (2022), and co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004).
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed his cause of death to the Daily Mail.
Born on June 29, 1977, in Miami, Florida, Baena grew up in a secular Jewish family. He graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in film and later moved to Los Angeles to pursue his directing ambitions.
It was there that he met Aubrey Plaza, his future wife, in 2011 during her audition for his film Life After Beth. Their partnership blossomed both professionally and personally, resulting in collaborations on several projects, including Joshy and Horse Girl.
Baena made his directorial debut with Life After Beth, where Plaza played a central role. Reflecting on the experience in a 2014 interview, Baena shared: “It’s all I ever wanted to do; it felt really comfortable and fun. I’ve been a writer for twelve years now, and it was always a means to an end. I never wanted to be a writer—I wanted to be a director, so this was always my intention, and it felt right.”
After over a decade together, Baena and Plaza married in an intimate ceremony at their home during the pandemic. Plaza, best known for her roles in Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus, opened up about their marriage during a September 2024 interview on SiriusXM’s Howard Stern Show.
Reflecting on her relationship with Baena, she humorously noted, “I would stay away from dating actors. I’m married to a writer/director. I’ve never really dated or been with an actor for a long time.” She added, “Sometimes I see actor couples and think, ‘Wow, look at them. They must really laugh it up.’”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.