Three days after Aubrey Plaza's husband, director Jeff Baena, died at the age of 47, the actress spoke out on the loss.
Aubrey Plaza is grieving after her husband Jeff Baena's death.
The Parks and Recreation alum spoke out for the first time since Baena, her frequent collaborator and husband of five years, passed away at the age of 47. She issued a joint statement with his family, which includes mom Barbara Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena.
"This is an unimaginable tragedy," read a statement from Plaza and the Baena/Stern family obtained by E! News Jan. 6. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
According to Los Angeles medical examiner records viewed by E! News, the screenwriter died by suicide on Jan. 3.
Plaza was set to present at the 2025 Golden Globes on Jan. 5; however, she did not make an appearance in the wake of the tragedy. Her peers paid tribute during the show, with 2025 Golden Globe winner for Best Director Brady Corbet ending his speech by saying, "Tonight my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family."
In addition to Corbet, many of the director's colleagues have shared moving tributes to him, including Adam Pally.
"Jeff Baena was a sweet, Jewish boy from Miami," the actor—who appeared in Baena's films Life After Beth, The Little Hours and Joshy—wrote on Instagram Jan. 5. "He was a collaborator, a mentor, the scrappiest basketball player with the ugliest jump shot you ever saw."
"He was a talented director with impeccable taste and vision," Pally continued. "He was a connector of people, a fosterer of possibility, the guy who knows where the best restaurant was no matter where you were. An overly gracious host with an almost disturbing open door policy, a film encyclopedia, and most important to me a friend."
"You never worried that Jeff wasn't telling you the way it is," he added. "Cause Jeff's virtue was telling you the way it was."
"My heart breaks for my friend Aubrey and the Baena family and for all of us who spent time on his sets or at his house or in his orbit," Pally concluded. "Thanks for believing in me Jeff, may your memory be a blessing."
Actress Molly Shannon, who also frequently collaborated with Baena, commended Pally for his message.
"Adam this is the best tribute and describes jeff perfectly," she commented. "His movies were so original. He was a brilliant writer and director and on top of that so visual with an amazing eye. And so kind and thoughtful bringing everyone together (almost always in Italy!!!) his work lives on. His memory lives on forever."
Keep reading to revisit Baena and Plaza's relationship through the years…
2011: Start Dating
While Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena didn't share much insight into the early days of their romance, they started dating in 2011 after meeting during a game of Balderdash.
But one thing the Parks & Recreation star divulged is that from the start, they bonded over movies.
“We’re so obsessed with movies,” she told Page Six in 2017. “That’s why we’re making movies together.”
2014: Collaborate on Life After Beth
It wasn’t until three years into their relationship that they made their first movie together, Life After Beth, which marked Jeff’s directorial debut.
2019: A Rare Romance Update
While she and Jeff generally kept their romance out of the public eye, Aubrey admitted that having a partner in the entertainment industry has some benefits.
“I think that when you’re with someone that is in your field, they understand what you’re dealing with on a deeper level,” she told People in June 2019. “So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we’re both on.”
But that’s not to say it doesn’t take its own work.
“So I think that can be really great,” the Child’s Play alum noted. “But, you know, working with your partner can always be challenging. There’s a lot of things we do separately and I think that it’s all about balance."
2021: Aubrey Confirms Marriage
After a decade together, Aubrey confirmed she and Jeff had tied the knot while giving him a rare shoutout on social media—and teasing their fourth movie together, Spin Me Round.
“So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble,” she wrote that May. “excited to be reunited with the amazing @alisonbrie (who also co-wrote this one!) and @theofficialsuperstar @sordociego @lauren_weedman and so many more fun people in this. Preparati!!”
2022: Jeff Shares Insight Why He and Aubrey Work So Well Together
After making several movies with his wife, Jeff made it clear that he’s not just her husband or director, he’s her No. 1 fan.
“She’s awesome,” he explained on the Reel Talker podcast in 2022. “I’d be working with her if she wasn’t my wife, but luckily she is my wife,” Baena told Reel Talker in 2022. “The opportunity to do something creative where we’re both fulfilled. How rare is that?”
2022: Their Final Film Together
Three years before Jeff's sudden death at age 47, he and Aubrey worked on their fourth and final film together, Spin Me Round. During their 14 years together, they also made The Little Hours and she appeared in his 2016 film Joshy.
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