A few days ago, Hollywood was shocked by the news of the death of the screenwriter and director, Jeff Baena, at the age of 47, also known for being the husband of the famous actress Aubrey Plaza, who has broken her silence after the tragic death.
Baena and Plaza, both 40 years old, had been together for 14 years. They met in 2011 before getting married in 2020. "A lot of things happened during COVID for me. Yes, we got married. Big deal," Plaza recounted during an appearance in December 2021 on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. "We got a little bored one night. We got married and I'll tell you how: Onehourmarriage.com. It's real, look it up."
He added, "We were in lockdown. Things got a little crazy, especially at my house. My husband got really into tie-dye and when I say tie-dye, I mean 50 shirts a day.
At that moment, Plaza wanted to "do something" special for their tenth anniversary and organized an impromptu ceremony in their backyard. "I created a very quick love altar in our garden. Made of our love, small stones, smoke, fire. Things like that," recalled the former Parks and Recreation actress at that moment. "Then the Alhambra man showed up with a Hawaiian shirt and a briefcase [to perform the ceremony]. ... I don't remember much, it was blurry. But I'm pretty sure it's legal."
However, tragedy struck the couple this 2025, after Baena passed away this past Friday 3. According to the coroner's records accessed by Us Weekly, Baena died by suicide.
What did Aubrey Plaza say about the death of her husband, Jeff Baena?
"This is an unimaginable tragedy," said the representative of Plaza in a statement on behalf of the actress and her family to Us Weekly this past Monday, the 6th. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered their support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
Plaza and Baena often kept their relationship private, except for their professional collaborations in Life After Death, The Little Hours, and Spin Me Round. “She’s amazing. I would work with her even if she wasn’t my wife, but fortunately she is,” Baena told Reel Talker in August 2022. “The opportunity to do something creative [together] where we both feel fulfilled, how rare is that?”