Aubrey Plaza opens up about the tragic passing of her husband, Jeff Baena
Former Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza provided a brief message Monday following the loss of her husband and filmmaker Jeff Baena, who died by suicide on Jan.3 at age 47.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Plaza said in a statement released along with her husband’s family. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.” The couple’s decade-plus creative and romantic partnership ended tragically when Baena was found dead at their Los Angeles-area home. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed to multiple sources that the cause of death was suicide by hanging.
Baena grew up in Miami as a film buff and was an early fan of seminal films like Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and Federico Fellini’s film 8 1/2. “I was always drawn to weirdo movies,” he told Fresh Fiction. He said he was exposed “to a lot of stuff that I think was a little bit left of center, and so that was normalized for me,” adding, “I sought it out.”
He previously spoke about mental health’s influence on his work, especially in the 2020 film Horse Girl. The director disclosed his personal connection to mental illness through his stepmother’s battle with bipolar disorder. “My first stepmom had manic depression and was in and out of facilities in Miami,” Baena shared in a 2020 Reddit discussion. “While I would not consider ‘Horse Girl’ to be an activist film, the themes of how we as a society and individuals treat persons with mental illness was a major focus.” His collaboration with actress Alison Brie in the film drew from both their families’ experiences—Brie’s grandmother suffered from schizophrenia, while Baena’s stepmom struggled with bipolar disorder. Baena strove to examine “how we as a society and individuals treat persons with mental illness.”
The filmmaker highlighted systemic issues in mental healthcare, particularly around consistent treatment accessibility and patient stability. “Unfortunately, people get released all the time when they still need treatment,” he noted during a Reddit Ask Me Anything, referencing the limitations of 72-hour mandatory holds, which can result in overstressing of other parts of the healthcare system, such as emergency room stays in periods of crisis.
Plaza, who married Baena in 2021 after dating since 2011, frequently collaborated with her husband on films like Life After Beth and The Little Hours. In an interview in 2022, Baena praised their professional dynamic: “She’s awesome. I would be working with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is.” She was most recently seen in My Old Ass, a coming-of-age film starring herself alongside Maddie Ziegler, that debuted in September. The actress was scheduled to present at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards but understandably did not attend. Brady Corbet, director of the acclaimed Adrien Brody-starred The Brutalist, acknowledged her absence during his acceptance speech, saying, “Tonight, my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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