Aubrey Plaza's Husband Jeff Baena Dead At 47

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Filmmaker Jeff Baena -- best known for directing films like "Life After Beth" and "The Little Hours," and the husband of Aubrey Plaza, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police and fire responded to a Los Angeles-area home Friday around 10:30 AM for a death investigation ... after an assistant discovered him dead.

Baena was pronounced dead at the scene ... law enforcement says he died by suicide.

After getting his film degree at New York University, Jeff moved to LA to launch his movie career, initially landing lower-level jobs with famous directors such as Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell.

It was his work with Russell that put him on the map ... the two collaborated on four screenplays -- including "I Heart Huckabees," starring Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin.

Around this time, Baena began focusing on directing his own movies, such as his first feature, the 2014 horror-comedy, "Life After Beth," starring John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon and Aubrey Plaza.

Baena also directed the 2016 flick, "Joshy," and 2017's "The Little Hours," as well as 2020's "Horse Girl."

In 2021, Aubrey revealed she and Jeff had tied the knot in an Instagram post after about a decade of dating -- as you know, her career kicked off when she starred in the show "Parks and Rec" in 2009 ... and has gone on to appear in projects like "Emily The Criminal" and "The White Lotus."

She also gushed over their wedding while appearing on Drew Barrymore's talk show back in 2021 ... explaining what is was like to be married to someone you work with as well.

We've reached out to Aubrey's reps ... so far, no word back.

Baena was 47.

RIP

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

To have your partner inflict such a wound ever is devastating, but to do it right into the new year must be fucking indescribable. I have nothing but sympathy for the lady regardless if she is Hollywood progressive or not. Suicide is awful.

 

[Solomon Bundy]

 

[Dog-O-Tron 5000v5.0]

Guess her bitchy quirkiness flew a little too close to the relationship sun.

 

[Burd Turglar]

I have never heard of any of his work.

 

[mlanguishi]

I would've sworn she was a lesbian. Sad story.

 

[A Sentient Cloud]

Horribly sad. They were together for a long time. I hope Aubrey has a strong circle of loved ones around her. This isn't something you get over, just grow around.

 

[Grundlejungle]

I heard that he had information that would lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton.

 

[Clotso Coof]

Sounds like they didn't have kids, thank god. What an asshole for doing it where his assistant had to find him.

 

[(((Obar Lazcano Kamz)))]

God has smitten another Hollywood jew from this earth, thank god!

 

[Quixotic Man]

Is it a confirmed suicide? Given that its Hollywood, OD or auto-erotic asphyxiation accidents are just as likely.

 

[Stab You in the Back]

To have your partner inflict such a wound ever is devastating, but to do it right into the new year must be fucking indescribable.

I know. Imagine if he had done it on Arbor Day or *shudder* Groundhog's Day. I don't think Aubrey would be able to recover.

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

I know. Imagine if he had done it on Arbor Day or *shudder* Groundhog's Day. I don't think Aubrey would be able to recover.

As someone who has lost loved ones on important dates, yes it colors those dates and makes things like holidays a bit harder to get through, personally. Having to start every new year from now on remembering the anniversary your husband ack’ed himself as the first big event will not be fun, even if logically the date shouldn’t really matter that much. It just adds extra suck on the shit cake.

 

[beautiful person]

That's sad. I like Aubrey Plaza, but I think that's because I don't know anything about her personal life except that she had a stroke when she was like 20.

Idk, as I've gotten older, I've become less sympathetic towards suicide. Especially when it's someone who has other people that are counting on them.

 

[namelesstacotruck]

Sounds like they didn't have kids, thank god. What an asshole for doing it where his assistant had to find him.

Aubrey Plaza is a "children are gross" millenial woman. I remember seeing an interview she did where she stated the only way she could be nice to kids in movies she is in is to pretend they are dogs. She likely cheated on/cucked him.

 

[The Skeksis Emperor]

Idk, as I've gotten older, I've become less sympathetic towards suicide. Especially when it's someone who has other people that are counting on them.

The Daily Mail notes that his mother and a stepfather and a stepmother are still alive. If you're not dying from a terrible illness, at least wait until your mother is dead, if you're going to do this. Poor Aubrey and poor mom.

 

[John Badman]

So there’s a chance

 

[pwnest injun]

I have never heard of any of his work.

You should check out I Heart Huckabees. It's an interesting film in a way that few other films are. You'll also probably understand why the guy who co-wrote it killed himself.

 

[Calandrino]

I remember seeing an interview she did where she stated the only way she could be nice to kids in movies she is in is to pretend they are dogs.

Maybe she should have pretended her husband was a dog

 

[Burd Turglar]

You should check out I Heart Huckabees. It's an interesting film in a way that few other films are. You'll also probably understand why the guy who co-wrote it killed himself.

I remember hearing the name of the movie floating around but knew nothing of it and never sought it out because I thought it was about Mike Huckabee, the elected official.

Fun fact, on a brand new phone, it autocorrects Huckabee to suckable. That's fucking hilarious.