Filmmaker Jeff Baena passed away on Friday (3 January)
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Aubrey Plaza has spoken out for the first time following the death of her husband, Jeff Baena, on Friday (3 January).
Baena, 47, who had been married to Plaza since May 2021, and was said to have been discovered at his home in Los Angeles last week.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office has since confirmed that the film director had died by suicide.
In a joint statement given to The Independent, Plaza and the Baena/Stern family stated: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support.
“Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena had been together for over a decade (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Providing an update on the situation, a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department said (via The Daily Mail): “Death was determined for an approximately 47-year old male, no transport.”
The Los Angeles Police Department also published a statement about the screenwriter’s death, saying: “We responded to the 2100 block of Fern Dale Place for a death investigation. Officers responded for a male decedent.”
Immediately following the news, Plaza’s representatives said in a statement to Deadline: “The family is devastated and asks for privacy at this difficult time.”
Baena is best known for his work on films such as The Little Hours, Life After Beth and Joshy.
Plaza and Baena were said to have been in a relationship from 2011 to 2021 before tying the knot in private. The pair worked together on Spin Me Round, The Little Hours, and Life After Beth.
The couple collaborated on a number of films together (George Pimentel/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival)
Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the White Lotus star revealed they’d gotten married at their home by an officiant from a website called ‘OneHourMarriage.com’ during the pandemic.
She said: “I can’t remember a lot of it, it was fuzzy. But I’m pretty sure it’s legal.”
Baena is survived by his wife Plaza, his mother Barbara Stern, father Scott Baena, stepfather Roger Stern and his stepmother Michele Baena.
He is also a brother to Brad Baena, and step-siblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
At the Golden Globes on Sunday (5 January), The Brutalist director Brady Corbet paid tribute to Baena during his Best Director win.
Signing off, he said: “Finally, tonight my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family – good night.”
LADbible Group has reached out to Baena and Plaza’s reps for comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Featured Image Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images for Sundance NEXT / David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Topics: Aubrey Plaza, Film, Entertainment, Celebrity
Aubrey Plaza’s husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, has died at the age of 47.
According to PEOPLE magazine, Baena was discovered at his home in Los Angeles on Friday morning (3 January) at around 10.30am where he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of death is currently unclear.
Jeff Baena has passed away at 47 (George Pimentel/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival)
Baena was born in Miami, Florida, and studied film at New York University before later moving to Los Angeles.
He was best known for his numerous writing and directing credits, including work on Life After Beth, Joshy, Spin Me Round and I Heart Huckabees.
Baena and Plaza – known for her roles in Parks And Recreation and The White Lotus – have been married since 2021 after first starting dating 10 years earlier.
The couple kept their relationship mostly private and fans only realised they had married when Plaza referred to Baena as her ‘husband’ in an Instagram post.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble excited to be reunited with the amazing @alisonbrie (who also co-wrote this one!) and @theofficialsuperstar @sordociego @lauren_weedman and so many more fun people in this. Preparati!!” She wrote in 2021.
Plaza later told GQ in November 2022 that the pair had tied the knot in a low-key ceremony.
The couple married in 2021 (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The couple have worked together on numerous titles, including Cinema Toast in which Plaza made her directorial debut.
Plaza has since spoken about what it was like to work with her husband on the series.
“It was very hectic while we were making the show because we were quarantined and Jeff, he created the show; it was his idea,” Plaza told PEOPLE in 2021.
“Our house became this strange post-production facility and he’s downstairs on his Zooms or on his sessions and I’m upstairs editing, we’re just going back and forth.”
In a statement, Plaza’s reps told Deadline that ‘the family is devastated and asks for privacy at this difficult time’.
Baena is survived by his mother, Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, stepmother Michele Banea, brother, Brad Banea and step siblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
LADbible Group has reached out to Baena and Plaza’s reps for comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
