A cause of death for Aubrey Plaza’s husband, director Jeff Baena, has been revealed.
According to information from medical examiner records examined by Us Weekly, Baena’s cause of death has been determined as suicide. The records also indicate that an examination has taken place and that his body is ready to be released to his family. As of the current time, the case is still labeled as “open” despite the cause of death being established.
No additional causes or significant conditions regarding Baena’s passing were listed.
As per the same medical examiner records, Baena passed away on January 3 at 47 years old. The circumstances leading to his death had remained undisclosed until now.
Baena is survived by Plaza, 40, who has not yet publicly addressed her husband’s passing. Us has reached out for comment.
Baena and Plaza began their relationship in 2011 and got married in 2020 after a decade together. Their relationship was mainly kept out of the public eye, but Plaza discussed their marriage on the Ellen Degeneres Show in December 2021.
“A lot of things happened during COVID for me. Yes, we got married. Big deal,” Plaza recalled at the time. “We got a little bored one night. We got married and I’ll tell you how: Onehourmarriage.com. That’s real, look it up.”
The Agatha All Along alum shared at the time that she and her husband had wed at home during lockdown.
“I created a very quick love altar in our yard. Facts of our love, little stones, smoke, fire. Things of that nature,” she continued at the time. “Then the man from Alhambra showed up in a Hawaiian shirt with a briefcase [to perform the ceremony]. … I can’t remember a lot of it, it was fuzzy. But I’m pretty sure it’s legal.”
While both Baena and Plaza each had their own successful solo careers, they were able to work together on numerous projects, including Life After Beth, The Little Hours and Spin Me Round.
“She’s awesome. I’d be working with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is my wife,” Baena told Reel Talker of working potentially with his wife in August 2022. “The opportunity to do something creative [together] where we’re both fulfilled — how rare is that?”
Months before Baena’s death, Plaza had briefly discussed her marriage during a September 2024 appearance on the Howard Stern Show. “I would stay away [from dating actors],” she quipped at the time. “I’m married to a writer/director. I’ve never, like, really dated an actor [or] been with an actor for a long time.”
She added, “I think about that and I think, like, ‘Oh, God, I don’t want to be with myself’ or, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ But then, sometimes, I see there are so many actor couples and you’re, like, ‘Wow, look at them. They must really laugh it up.’”
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