- Jeff Baena, the husband of actor Aubrey Plaza, passed away on January 3
- He was just 47
- Baena and Plaza had been married since 2021
Filmmaker Jeff Baena, the husband of actor Aubrey Plaza, has passed away at the age of 47.
According to reports, the writer and director died by suicide, and was found by an assistant at the LA home he shared with Plaza, 40, on Friday, January 3.
According to Deadline, the filmmaker’s family “is devastated and asks for privacy at this difficult time”.
Baena and Plaza – who is known for her roles in Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus – had been in a relationship since 2011, and married in 2021.
The couple frequently collaborated on projects, including Spin Me Around and Joshy – the latter of which was nominated for the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.
Fans pay tribute to Jeff Baena
Fans flooded social media to pay tribute to Baena.
“Man that Jeff Baena news sucks,” wrote one. “Death by suicide is a seriously stigmatized issue that needs to be met with compassion, understanding and empathy for all involved. Suicidal thoughts are way more common than we as people like to admit, and acknowledging that is part of the process.”
Another said, “Hearing about Jeff Baena’s death in the context of Aubrey’s most recent movie is absolutely heart wrenching tragic stuff man.”
“Rip to Jeff Baena, I hope he found peace with whatever battle he was fighting and I truly truly hope Aubrey Plaza has some support around her during this time. I could not imagine the pain she’s in,” someone else added, offering their condolences to Plaza.
Another continued, “Jeff Baena was a truly talented director and writer. He made some of my favorite films and I will be forever grateful for his wit and talent. He will be missed.”
“Jeff Baena was a truly unique artistic voice, and our world is poorer without him in it,” wrote a fan. “His co-writing credit for I Heart Huckabees is what I will remember him most fondly by – I attribute him with injecting the characters and dialogue with such specific offbeat rhythms.”
A final person said, “This is heartbreaking. Baena made so many fun indie flicks I adored. Life After Beth and The Little Hours are so hilarious. Jeff, Aubrey, and Alison were like the Three Musketeers of kooky low-budget comedies. Can’t imagine the pain they’re going through right now. Rip Jeff Baena.”
