Indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza’s husband, found dead at Los Angeles home
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Writer-director Jeff Baena, whose darkly comedic independent films included “The Little Hours” and who was married to his frequent creative collaborator Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47.
Baena was found dead Friday morning at a Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. The circumstances of his death remained unclear Saturday, and the office said it was investigating and a full report would not be available until the case is closed.
Baena co-wrote David O. Russell’s 2004 film “I Heart Huckabees” and wrote and directed five of his own films, four of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
He had been dating Plaza for three years before she starred in his 2014 directorial debut, the zombie comedy “Life After Beth.” His next film, 2016’s “Joshy,” featured Thomas Middleditch as a man who gets together with friends months after his fiancee commits suicide.
The son of an attorney and teacher, Baena grew up in Miami and attended film school at New York University. He told podcaster Marc Maron in a 2017 interview that his interest in cinema was sparked after watching Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” and Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” as a child.
“I was always drawn to left-of-center things,” he told Jim Alexander two years ago in an interview for the Reel Talker YouTube channel.
Baena said in the same interview that it was “amazing” to work with Plaza, who appeared in four of his five films. The 40-year-old actor and producer rose to fame playing April Ludgate on the television series “Parks and Recreation” and was nominated for an Emmy for her role on “The White Lotus.” The couple married in 2021.
“The opportunities to create together, to do something creative where we’re both fulfilled, it’s like how rare is that? She’s down and she’s so talented, so I’m really lucky,” Baena said.
A representative for Plaza said that in addition to Plaza, Baena is survived by his mother, Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena, stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
Aubrey Plaza's husband, director Jeff Baena, found dead at 47
Filmmaker Jeff Baena, the husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, has died aged 47.
His body was discovered by an assistant at his Los Angeles home on Friday morning, where he was later pronounced dead, media reports say.
The American director, best known for films The Little Hours, Life After Beth and Joshy, married Ms Plaza in 2021.
The family told Deadline they were "devastated" and asked for privacy at this difficult time.
Ms Plaza, 40, star of TV series The White Lotus and Parks and Recreation, has not yet commented publicly on the death of her husband.
The circumstances of his death remain unclear.
Mr Baena graduated from New York University with a degree in film before moving to LA to pursue directing.
He worked in production under filmmakers Robert Zemeckis and David O'Russell, before breaking away to make his own films.
He made his directorial debut in 2014 with the release of the zombie comedy film Life After Beth, which featured Plaza.
The pair would go on to collaborate on several projects.
Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena's Cause Of Death Revealed After He Was Found Dead At Home
Jeff Baena, the acclaimed filmmaker behind movies such as "Life After Beth" and "The Little Hours," has tragically passed away.
Law enforcement sources confirmed that police and fire officials responded to a death investigation call around 10:30 AM on Friday after an assistant discovered Baena unresponsive.
Jeff Baena was pronounced dead at the scene.
TMZ reports that Baena, who is married to actress Aubrey Plaza, died by suicide at his Los Angeles-area home on Friday morning.
Baena, a graduate of New York University’s film program, began his Hollywood journey working under renowned directors Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell.
His collaboration with Russell proved to be a turning point in his career. He co-wrote four screenplays, including the 2004 cult favorite "I Heart Huckabees," starring Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin.
His death is a profound loss to the film industry and to those who knew him personally. His creative voice and distinctive vision will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones alike.
"Oh god, I hope she’s ok," one user said, thinking of Aubrey during this difficult time.
"What horrific news," another X user said. "Prayers with Aubrey Plaza, and all those who knew and loved Baena."
"Wow. Very young," a third wrote. "Prayers up."
"Awful. Sending my condolences," another social media user expressed as someone else chimed in, "Prayers to her and his family."
In 2014, Baena made his directorial debut with the horror-comedy "Life After Beth," featuring John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Aubrey Plaza. The film marked the beginning of a fruitful professional and personal relationship with Plaza, who would go on to star in several of Baena's films.
Baena continued his directorial success with "Joshy," "The Little Hours," and "Horse Girl," further cementing his reputation for unique storytelling and genre-blending narratives.
In 2021, Plaza revealed via Instagram that she and Baena had tied the knot after nearly a decade of dating. Plaza, best known for her breakout role as April Ludgate on "Parks and Recreation," has since built a successful career with roles in "Emily the Criminal" and "The White Lotus."
Since then, Aubrey has occasionally mentioned Jeff in interviews, especially during the promotion of "Spin Me Round." In a conversation with People, she shared, "It was very hectic while we were making the show because we were quarantined and Jeff, he created the show; it was his idea. Our house became this strange post-production facility and he's downstairs on his Zooms or on his sessions and I'm upstairs editing, [and] we're just going back and forth."
She added, "We were quarantined for months and months like everybody else. And we did enjoy it. I think it was, obviously other than all of the catastrophic things happening in the world, just on a personal level, relationship level, kind of nice to just be forced to be in one place for that long. Could have gone either way, I guess."
"I think that when you’re with someone that is in your field, they understand what you're dealing with on a deeper level. So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we're both on," the actress concluded.
While promoting "The White Lotus," where she portrays a woman in a strained relationship frustrated by a vacation with an apparently perfect couple, she reflected on her own relationship, saying, "I’ve been with my husband for 12 years. I relate to being in a relationship that has peaks and valleys, and going through a rough patch and comparing yourself to another couple that seems perfect."
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. In the U.S., you can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential support, 24/7.
Who Was Aubrey Plaza's Late Husband? All About Jeff Baena
Aubrey Plaza is mourning the sudden loss of her husband, Jeff Baena.
The writer and director died by suicide on Jan. 3, PEOPLE has since confirmed. He was 47.
Plaza and Baena started dating in 2011 and secretly tied the knot in 2021. In addition to being spouses, the pair collaborated on many work projects together, including the 2022 film Spin Me Round, which was written and directed by Baena and stars Plaza.
The actress credited much of her success to the support of her husband and frequent collaborator.
"I think that when you're with someone that is in your field, they understand what you're dealing with on a deeper level. So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we're both on," Plaza told PEOPLE in 2019. She went on to say that while "working with your partner can always be challenging," it's "all about balance."
Here is everything to know about the late Jeff Baena and his relationship — both personal and professional — with Aubrey Plaza.
Baena was a writer and director with more than a dozen credits to his name. Most notably, Baena co-wrote the 2004 film I Heart Huckabees starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts. Shortly after, he made his directorial debut, writing and directing Life After Beth, a zombie comedy starring Plaza.
Of the experience, Baena toldSeensome during a 2014 interview, "It's all I ever want 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."
Baena also created an anthology series titled Cinema Toast, which aired on Showtime in 2021 and marked Plaza's directorial debut. His final project, Spin Me Round, a comedy film starring Plaza, Alison Brie, Debby Ryan and Molly Shannon, was released in 2022.
Baena was born and raised in Miami, where he was exposed to cinema and culture at a young age, as he told Fast Company during a 2016 interview. He attended film school at New York University and moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating to begin his career in entertainment.
Once in L.A., Baena moved into an apartment and started applying for assistant roles. He worked for film directors Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell before branching out on his own.
It took some time for Baena to find his own footing in the competitive world of film. However, during his time working for Russell, Baena was involved in a minor car accident. Though he wasn't seriously injured, debris from the accident got in his eye and he sought medical attention.
As the two directors explained to Fast Company, Russell helped take care of Baena on the day of the accident and the two got to talking. From their conversations, they formed a collaboration that would take Baena from an assistant to a screenwriter. Russell and Baena then wrote a few scripts together, one of which was I Heart Huckabees.
In his interview with Seensome, Baena noted that Russell had a "tremendous influence" on his career.
In 2011, Baena met and started dating Plaza. The couple managed to keep their romance out of the public eye and the world only learned that the two had tied the knot in May 2021, when Plaza referred to Baena as her "darling 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," her caption read. A rep later confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had gotten married.
Baena and Plaza worked together on several projects, including Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017) and Spin Me Round (2022).
"I'd say it's an amazing experience to work with your partner in this way. I've worked with Jeff since his first movie. I've seen him evolve and I've seen him grow. It's a really special dynamic that we have. It's challenging at times but it's also really rewarding to do something together like this," Plaza told MovieFreak.com in 2017.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Plaza revealed that she and Baena created their 2021 TV series Cinema Toast during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"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," Plaza explained. "Yeah, it was very us. We were not baking sourdough bread, but we were sifting through hours of old movies and footage and re-cutting them together and just letting our minds go on a trip. So it was great."
Plaza and Baena did their best to keep their personal lives off the internet and out of the public eye.
Although Plaza is active on Instagram, she hardly ever shared photos of her husband. On Valentine's Day 2020, however, the actress gave fans a rare glimpse into their romance. Alongside a photo of herself holding a dagger up to Baena's chin while peering up at him, Plaza wrote simply, "and happy valentine's day."
In November 2022, Plaza mentioned Baena briefly during her interview with GQ.
"I've been with my husband for 12 years. I relate to being in a relationship that has peaks and valleys, and going through a rough patch and comparing yourself to another couple that seems perfect," the actress said when listing all the things that she and her White Lotus character, Harper, had in common.
Italy had a special place in Baena's heart. He opened up about his love for the country in an interview with Deadline in March 2022.
"I shot a film there in 2016 called The Little Hours and had such an awesome time shooting there," he told the outlet. "I learned the differences between shooting in America and Italy, and having been there I wanted to go back knowing what I know and do it again. It's the only country I can think of where every time I go, I learn something new. It's my all-time favorite country."
Baena died by suicide on Jan. 3, 2025, PEOPLE confirmed. He was 47.
TMZ was the first to report the news. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that an assistant discovered Baena's body at a Los Angeles-area home around 10:30 a.m. PT, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Representatives for Baena did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Jeff Baena, filmmaker and husband of Aubrey Plaza, dead at 47
Indie screenwriter and director Jeff Baena has died at 47 years old. Representatives for Baena's wife, "Parks and Rec" star Aubrey Plaza," directed CBS News to a report of Baena's death by Deadline.
His death was also confirmed to CBS News by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. The coroner's office reported that Baena died by suicide.
Baena is best known for the 2014 comedy "Life After Beth," which starred Plaza, and his work co-writing 2004's "I Heart Huckabees," according to his IMDB page. More recently, he created, wrote, directed and executive produced Showtime's 2021 series "Cinema Toast" and wrote, directed and produced the 2022 movie "Spin Me Round."
Baena and Plaza, 40, wed in 2021. The pair frequently collaborated on his projects. Plaza opened up about the wedding on The Ellen Show, describing the ceremony as an impromptu event held in their backyard while they were sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The wedding was held on their tenth anniversary together, Plaza said.
"I just said 'It's our 10-year anniversary, we should do something, get an ice cream cone, you know, do something special. And then I joked about getting married and he's like 'Well, we probably couldn't get married that fast,'" she said. "He was like 'We probably couldn't get married that fast.' I said 'Wouldn't it be nice to get married on our actual anniversary? And then I Googled it, and I found OneHourMarriage.com, and then I called around 5 p.m., and I said 'Can you come in an hour and marry me in our yard?'"
He is survived by Plaza, his mother Barbara Stern, his stepfather Roger Stern, his father Scott Baena, his stepmother Michele Baena, and his brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman, according to Deadline.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email [email protected].
Jeff Baena Dies: The Indie Filmmaker And Husband Of Actress Aubrey Plaza Was 47
Jeff Baena, the screenwriter and film director, and husband of actress Aubrey Plaza (The White Lotus), died on January 3. He was 47. An assistant reportedly discovered his body at a home in Los Angeles, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause of death has not been revealed.
Born in Miami on June 29, 1977, Jeff Baena began his career as a production assistant for director Robert Zemeckis, working on a number of his films.
Baena then took a job as an assistant editor for writer-director David O. Russell, where the two began collaborating on scripts together. One of those scripts was I Heart Huckabees, which Russell directed in 2004. At the same time, Baena penned the zombie comedy Life After Beth, which marked his debut as a director.
The next film for Baena was The Little Hours in 2017, with Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, John C. Reilly, and Molly Shannon. Baena teamed with Alison Brie again in Horse Girl, which opened in 2020.
Baena also created an anthology series for Showtime titled Cinema Toast in 2021. And his now final film, Spin Me Round, premiered in 2022.
Baena is survived by wife Aubrey Plaza, mom Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, dad Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsister and stepbrother Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
Jeff Baena, director and husband of Aubrey Plaza, dies at 47
Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has died. He was 47.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed his death and that he died by suicide at his home on Jan. 3, according to their records.
TODAY.com reached out the Plaza and Baena's reps for comment.
Baena, a director and screenwriter, is a graduate of New York University’s film school. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles and started his career as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis before he went on to work as an assistant editor for David O. Russell.
He is best known for co-writing the 2004 movie “I Heart Huckabees” with Russell, which starred Dustin Hoffman, Mark Wahlberg, Lily Tomlin and Jude Law. He also created the 2021 Showtime anthology series “Cinema Toast” and directed 2020’s “Horse Girl” featuring Alison Brie.
Baena and Plaza were frequent collaborators over the years. He wrote and directed 2014's “Life After Beth” and 2017's “The Little Hours,” both of which starred Plaza. They collaborated most recently on 2022's “Spin Me Round,” a romcom co-written and directed by Baena that featured Plaza.
Over the years, Baena and Plaza kept their relationship private.
After more than a decade together, the couple got married in 2021.
The “Parks and Recreation” star called Baena her “darling husband” in a May 2021 Instagram post, seemingly confirming their nuptials at the time. Plaza later confirmed during a December 2021 episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” that she and Baena got married during the pandemic.
Host Drew Barrymore asked Plaza what it was like to work with her husband, with the actor sharing that it was “so great.”
“It’s so complicated. It’s extreme highs and extreme complications,” she explained. “It’s a really hard thing to navigate, but man, we’ve been together for 11 years…We just muscle our way through it. The marriage thing was just a joke that just honestly went too far.”
Plaza said that she and Baena decided to get “married on a whim” and said that they wed less than four hours after they made the decision.
“Jeff got really into tie-dying during the quarantine, so I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us,” she explained. “I made a love altar in the backyard of all of our love objects. It was very witchcore, but it happened.‘“
Baena is survived by Plaza, his parents and stepparents, as well as his siblings.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
