Jeff Baena, the filmmaker husband of White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza, has died by suicide at the couple’s Los Angeles home, authorities have confirmed.
Baena, 47, was found dead on Friday morning at their Los Feliz property, which they purchased in 2022. The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that he died by hanging. Emergency services were called to the scene at 10:25 am after an assistant discovered his body. He was pronounced dead on site.
Baena was renowned for his work on indie films such as Life After Beth, The Little Hours, and Joshy. He also co-wrote the 2004 comedy I Heart Huckabees. After a decade together, Baena and Plaza, 40, married in 2021, keeping their engagement and wedding private for months. Plaza, celebrated for her roles in Parks and Recreation and the Marvel series Agatha: All Along, has requested privacy during this time. Her spokesperson said: “The family is devastated and asks for privacy at this difficult time.”
Career and Collaborations
Baena graduated from New York University’s film school and began his career in low-level positions working for acclaimed directors such as Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell. He collaborated with Russell on I Heart Huckabees, which marked a breakthrough in his career.
Despite his critical success in indie cinema, Baena never reached the same level of fame as his wife, Aubrey Plaza. The couple often collaborated on projects, with Plaza starring in his films The Little Hours and Spin Me Round. Their creative partnership was a defining aspect of their relationship, but they maintained a low profile, avoiding discussions about their personal lives.
A private life together
Baena and Plaza were fiercely private as a couple. In May 2021, Plaza referred to him as her “darling husband” in an Instagram post, revealing for the first time that they had tied the knot. The post featured a photo of the pair gazing into each other’s eyes alongside screenshots of an article about their collaboration on Spin Me Round.
This marked their final social media post together, as they chose to keep their personal lives away from the public eye. Plaza, in a past interview, said: “We don’t talk about ourselves.”
Baena’s passing has left the film industry mourning the loss of a talented filmmaker and a collaborative creative spirit. Tributes from colleagues and fans have poured in, honouring his contributions to cinema and his enduring partnership with Plaza.