Actress Aubrey Plaza broke her silence Monday about the recent death of her husband Jeff Baena, calling it an “unimaginable tragedy” and asking for privacy.
Baena, an independent film producer, died Friday at his home in Los Feliz, with the cause determined to be suicide, according to the Los Angeles County coroner. He was 47 years old.
2022 Jeff Baena passed away last week.
(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone for their support,” Plaza and Baena’s families said in a statement shared with The Times. “Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Baena’s death prompted Plaza to withdraw from the 82nd Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday evening.
Director Brady Corbett acknowledged Baena’s death while accepting the Best Picture award for his film “The Brutalist” at a ceremony Sunday night.
“Finally, my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family tonight,” Corbet said as he concluded his acceptance speech. “good night.”
Baena and Plaza began dating in 2001, married in May 2021, and have collaborated on several film and television projects.
Bae Na made his directorial debut in 2014 with the zombie comedy film ‘Life After Beth’, starring Plaza. Plaza also starred in the 2017 dark comedy film ‘The Little Hours’ and the most recent film she directed in 2022, ‘Spin Me Round’.
The pair also teamed up on the 2021 TV anthology series Cinema Toast, taking public domain film and TV footage and transforming it into new stories through imaginative editing and voiceover. Baena produced the show and directed several episodes, while Plaza directed one of the episodes.
Plaza told People Magazine in 2019 that despite the challenges, she enjoyed the synergy of working on the project with her husband.
“I think when you surround yourself with people who are in the same field, they understand what you’re dealing with on a deeper level,” she said. “So obviously you can support each other and really understand the journey we’re both on.”
Baena’s films have twice been nominated for the Grand Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The first is ‘Life After Beth’, followed by ‘Joshy’, a 2016 dark comedy about a man’s bachelor party after his fiancé commits suicide.
Plaza, 40, rose to fame playing April Ludgate on the sitcom “Parks and Recreation” from 2009 to 2015. She was nominated for a 2023 Emmy Award for her performance in the second season of “The White Lotus.”
Baena is survived by her mother, Barbara Stern; father, Scott Baena; stepfather, Roger Stern; stepmother, Michelle Baena; brother, Brad Baena; half-sister Bianca Gavey; and stepbrother Jed Fluxman.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek professional help and call 9-8-8. America’s first national three-digit mental health crisis hotline 988 We connect callers with trained mental health counselors. To connect with the Crisis Text Line, text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada.
