Actress Aubrey Plaza was separated from her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, in the months before he died by suicide, authorities have confirmed.
The separation was revealed in a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report obtained by multiple outlets on Wednesday. According to People, the report lists Baena as having been separated from Plaza since last September, roughly four months before his death.
The 47-year-old screenwriter and director was discovered dead by his dog walker at his L.A. area home on the morning of Jan. 3. The medical examiner later ruled Baena’s death as suicide by hanging.
No alcohol or illegal drugs were found in his system and no suicide note was left at the scene, according to TMZ.
Per the examiner’s report, the couple had been “experiencing recent marital difficulties,” with Plaza having moved to New York in September.
A month later, Baena allegedly made “concerning remarks” that prompted Plaza “to call a friend to perform a welfare check,” the documents state.
Plaza later told police she last received a text message from Baena just three hours before he was pronounced dead at 10:39 a.m., reported TMZ. It’s unclear what the message said.
She also told authorities that Baena had been attending therapy since October. There doesn’t appear to have been any additional incidents that were cause for alarm.
Plaza and Baena first began dating in 2011 and tied the knot in 2021. Throughout their relationship, they worked together on multiple projects, with Plaza appearing in his final feature film, 2022’s “Spin Me Round.”
Days following Baena’s death, Plaza and his family issued a joint statement calling his passing an “unimaginable tragedy.”
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support,” they said. “Please respect our privacy during this time.”