Writer and director Jeff Baena, who was married to actress Aubrey Plaza, has passed away at the age of 47.
TMZ reported that Baena was found dead at a residence in the Los Angeles area on January 3, at approximately 10:30 a.m. His death was confirmed as a suicide by hanging by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.
Born and raised in Miami, Baena attended film school at New York University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment.
Over the course of his career, Baena acquired over a dozen directing and film credits. He was a co-writer on the 2004 film I Heart Huckabees, starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, and Naomi Watts. Later, he ventured into directing with Life After Beth, a zombie comedy featuring Plaza.
After the release of his 2020 film Horse Girl, Decider spoke to Baena about the Alison Brie-starrer’s ambiguous ending.
In 2021, Baena created Cinema Toast, an anthology series that aired on Showtime and marked Plaza’s directorial debut.
In 2011, Baena began a relationship with Plaza, which they kept private. Despite never publicly acknowledging their engagement or marriage, Plaza disclosed their union in a May 2021 Instagram post.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to Italia to cause some more trouble,” she wrote, confirming their marriage.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visiting 988lifeline.org.
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