Jeff Baena, the famous writer-director and husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, has died at the age of 47. TMZ that Baena was found deceased at a residence in Los Angeles on Friday, January 3, with suicide reported as the cause of death.
Baena, known for his wit and unique storytelling, was discovered by an assistant around 10:30 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. Representatives for the filmmaker did not respond to requests for comment.
Born and raised in Miami, Baena graduated from New York University’s film school before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. He rose to prominence as the co-writer of the 2004 film I like Huckabees, with Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts.
Baena made his directorial debut with the 2014 zombie comedy Life after Beth, which featured Plaza and cemented its reputation for blending offbeat humor and heartfelt storytelling. His additional projects included the Showtime anthology series Toast at the cinema in 2021, which also marked Plaza’s directorial debut.
Baena and Plaza began dating in 2011, maintaining a particularly private relationship. The couple married in a low-key ceremony that became public in May 2021, when Plaza called Baena her “darling husband” in an Instagram post celebrating one of his films.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another movie that takes us to Italy to cause even more trouble,” Plaza wrote at the time. A representative later confirmed their marriage.
Baena’s passing left the entertainment world in mourning, with tributes from colleagues and friends reflecting her creative contributions and warm personality.
