Filmmaker Jeff Baena, husband of Aubrey Plaza, dies by suicide at 47

Writer-director Jeff Baena, known for his unique films and collaborations with wife Aubrey Plaza, has died at 47.

Writer-director Jeff Baena, known for his distinct cinematic voice and creative collaborations with his wife, actress Aubrey Plaza, has died at the age of 47. Law enforcement sources confirmed to TMZ that Baena’s body was discovered by an assistant at a Los Angeles-area home on Friday, January 3. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner has since ruled his death a suicide by hanging.

Celebrated for his offbeat and thought-provoking storytelling, Baena co-wrote David O. Russell’s I Heart Huckabees in 2004 and directed five feature films, four of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His directorial debut, the 2014 zombie comedy Life After Beth, starred Plaza and marked the beginning of their creative partnership.

The Miami native, son of a teacher and attorney, found his passion for film after watching Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 as a child. In a 2017 interview with Marc Maron, he shared, “I was always drawn to left-of-center things.”

Baena’s other works include Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), and Spin Me Round (2022). His collaborations with Plaza, who appeared in four of his films, were a source of deep fulfillment for the couple. “The opportunities to create together... how rare is that? She’s so talented, so I’m really lucky,” Baena reflected in a 2021 interview.

The couple, who married in 2021, had been together for over a decade. Plaza, known for her Emmy-nominated role in The White Lotus, survives Baena along with his parents, stepparents, brother, and stepsiblings.