The cause of death for Jeff Baena, the director and screenwriter married to Aubrey Plaza, has been confirmed. According to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Baena, 47, died by suicide. Baena passed away on Friday at his home in California, as previously reported.
Known for his work on films such as “Life After Beth,” “The Little Hours,” and “Horse Girl,” Baena also co-wrote the screenplay for David O. Russell’s “I Heart Huckabees.” His most recent project was the 2022 film “Spin Me Round,” which starred Plaza and Alison Brie. Plaza had also starred in both “Life After Beth” and “The Little Hours.”
Baena and Plaza had been married since 2020, after starting their relationship in 2010. In a 2022 profile of Plaza, it was revealed that they first crossed paths while playing a game of Balderdash. In a 2021 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the “Parks and Recreation” star shared that she and Baena “got a little bored one night” and decided to marry through a “one-hour marriage” website during the COVID-19 lockdown. She told DeGeneres, “I just said, ‘Hey, it’s our 10-year anniversary. We should do something special, like get an ice cream cone.’ Then I joked about getting married, and he responded, ‘Well, we probably can’t do that so quickly.’ I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to get married on our actual anniversary?’ So, I Googled it and found onehourmarriage.com.”
Tributes for Baena and messages of support for Plaza have been flooding in over the past few days. On Sunday, while accepting the Best Director award at the Golden Globes for The Brutalist, director Brady Corbet expressed his thoughts for Plaza and Baena. “Tonight, my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family,” he said as he concluded his speech.
Brie posted on Instagram, “Rest in peace, my friend.” Molly Shannon, who starred in many of Baena’s films, shared a collection of photos with the director, accompanied by a broken heart emoji. Adam Pally also expressed his sorrow in an Instagram story, writing, “My heart breaks for my friend Aubrey and the Baena family, as well as for everyone who spent time on his sets, at his house, or in his presence.”
Other celebrities also expressed their support for Plaza on Instagram. Selma Blair commented on Plaza’s latest post, writing, “No words can ease this painful time. Only love, strength, and support from everyone. I am so sorry.”
