Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena photo collage

Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena's Cause Of Death Revealed After He Was Found Dead At Home

Home / Top Stories / Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena's Cause Of Death Revealed After He Was Found Dead At Home

By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on January 4, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST
Updated on January 4, 2025 at 3:33 PM EST

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.

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Jeff Baena's Cause Of Death Revealed

Jeff Baena at 'The Little Hours' Premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2017
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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.

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Social Media Reacts To The Heartbreaking News

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."

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Aubrey Plaza And Jeff Baena Met In 2014

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.

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The Couple Tied The Knot In 2021

Jeff Baena
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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."

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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.

Aubrey Plaza Reflects On Her Relationship With Jeff

Aubrey Plaza at 75th Directors Guild Of America Awards
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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.

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