Watch: Director Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza’s Husband, Dead at 47
More details about the death of director Jeff Baena, husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, have been revealed.
The 47-year-old, who was also a screenwriter, died by suicide, according to Los Angeles medical examiner records, viewed by E! News. Baena was found dead at a residence in the city Jan. 3.
Baena, a graduate of New York University’s film school, frequently collaborated with Plaza, who starred in his films Life After Beth—his 2014 directorial debut, plus Joshy, The Little Hours and Spin Me Round. Baena was also known for cowriting the 2004 comedy I Heart Huckabees with director David O. Russell.
Baena and Plaza, 40, met in 2011 and married in 2020, with the White Lotus actress confirming the following year, while they were working on the movie Spin Me Round, that they had tied the knot.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena,” Plaza wrote on Instagram in May 2021, “for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble.”
Months later, the actress revealed that the two tied the knot in the backyard of their Los Angeles home after she called and ordered an officiant from a same-day marriage license service.
“We got married and I’ll tell you how— 1hourmarriage.com,” she told Ellen DeGeneres on a December 2021 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “It was our 10-year anniversary. We were in the lockdown, as you know, things got a little crazy, especially in my house.”
Plaza continued, “I just said, ‘Hey it’s our 10-year anniversary. We should do something, get an ice cream cone and do something special.’ And then I joked about getting married and he’s like, ‘Well, we probably couldn’t get married that fast.’ And I said, ‘Well, wouldn’t it be nice to get married on our actual anniversary?'”
In addition to Plaza, Baena is survived by mom Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, dad Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena, stepsister Bianca Gabay and stepbrother Jed Fluxman, the director’s manager said in a statement to E! News.
Look back at Plaza and Baena’s love story…
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GREY GOOSE
While Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena didn’t share much insight into the early days of their romance, they started dating in 2011 after meeting during a game of Balderdash.
But one thing the Parks & Recreation star divulged is that from the start, they bonded over movies.
“We’re so obsessed with movies,” she told Page Six in 2017. “That’s why we’re making movies together.”
Photo by Chad Hurst/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival
2014: Collaborate on Life After Beth
It wasn’t until three years into their relationship that they made their first movie together, Life After Beth, which marked Jeff’s directorial debut.
Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival
2019: A Rare Romance Update
While she and Jeff generally kept their romance out of the public eye, Aubrey admitted that having a partner in the entertainment industry has some benefits.
“I think that when you’re with someone that is in your field, they understand what you’re dealing with on a deeper level,” she told People in June 2019. “So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we’re both on.”
But that’s not to say it doesn’t take its own work.
“So I think that can be really great,” the Child’s Play alum noted. “But, you know, working with your partner can always be challenging. There’s a lot of things we do separately and I think that it’s all about balance.”
2021: Aubrey Confirms Marriage
After a decade together, Aubrey confirmed she and Jeff had tied the knot while giving him a rare shoutout on social media—and teasing their fourth movie together, Spin Me Round.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble,” she wrote that May. “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!!”
Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
2022: Jeff Shares Insight Why He and Aubrey Work So Well Together
After making several movies with his wife, Jeff made it clear that he’s not just her husband or director, he’s her No. 1 fan.
“She’s awesome,” he explained on the Reel Talker podcast in 2022. “I’d be working with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is my wife,” Baena told Reel Talker in 2022. “The opportunity to do something creative where we’re both fulfilled. How rare is that?”
Robin Marchant/Getty Images
2022: Their Final Film Together
Three years before Jeff’s sudden death at age 47, he and Aubrey worked on their fourth and final film together, Spin Me Round. During their 14 years together, they also made The Little Hours and she appeared in his 2016 film Joshy.
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