What to Know About Aubrey Plaza's Late Husband, Jeff Baena Effie Orfanides, Samantha StutsmanAugust 19, 2025 at 11:31 PM Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2014.
- - What to Know About Aubrey Plaza's Late Husband, Jeff Baena
Effie Orfanides, Samantha StutsmanAugust 19, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2014. -
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena secretly wed in 2021
They separated in September 2024
Baena died by suicide at age 47 in January 2025
Aubrey Plaza was married to her husband, Jeff Baena, for nearly four years before he died by suicide on Jan. 3, 2025.
Eight months after his death, the actress opened up about the loss for the first time, describing her grief as a "giant ocean of awfulness."
"Sometimes I just want to dive into it and just be in it. Then sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But, it's always there," the Parks and Recreation alum told Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast in August 2025.
Plaza and Baena started dating in 2011 and secretly tied the knot in 2021. However, according to the medical examiner's report, they were separated at the time of his death.
In addition to being spouses, the pair collaborated on many work projects together, including the 2022 film Spin Me Round, which was written and directed by Baena and starred Plaza. The actress credited much of her success to her husband's support.
"I think that when you're with someone that is in your field, they understand what you're dealing with on a deeper level. So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we're both on," Plaza told PEOPLE in 2019.
She went on to say that while "working with your partner can always be challenging," it's "all about balance."
Here is everything to know about the late Jeff Baena and his relationship with Aubrey Plaza.
He was a writer and director
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza in 2016.
Baena was a writer and director with more than a dozen credits to his name. Most notably, Baena co-wrote the 2004 film I Heart Huckabees starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts. Shortly after, he made his directorial debut, writing and directing Life After Beth, a zombie comedy starring Plaza.
Of the experience, Baena told Seensome during a 2014 interview, "It's all I ever want to do; it felt really comfortable and fun. I've been a writer for twelve years now and it was always a means to an end, I never wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a director so this was always my intention and it felt right."
Baena also created an anthology series titled Cinema Toast, which aired on Showtime in 2021 and marked Plaza's directorial debut. His final project, Spin Me Round, a comedy film starring Plaza, Alison Brie, Debby Ryan and Molly Shannon, was released in 2022.
He studied film at New York University
Monica Schipper/WireImage Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2014.
Baena was born and raised in Miami, where he was exposed to cinema and culture at a young age, as he told Fast Company during a 2016 interview. He attended film school at New York University and moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating to begin his career in entertainment.
Once in L.A., Baena moved into an apartment and started applying for assistant roles. He worked for film directors Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell before branching out on his own.
A minor car accident helped shape his career
Monica Schipper/FilmMagic Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza in 2017.
It took some time for Baena to find his own footing in the competitive world of film. However, during his time working for Russell, Baena was involved in a minor car accident. Though he wasn't seriously injured, debris from the accident got in his eye and he sought medical attention.
As the two directors explained to Fast Company, Russell helped take care of Baena on the day of the accident and the two got to talking. From their conversations, they formed a collaboration that would take Baena from an assistant to a screenwriter. Russell and Baena then wrote a few scripts together, one of which was I Heart Huckabees.
In his interview with Seensome, Baena noted that Russell had a "tremendous influence" on his career.
He married Plaza in 2021
George Pimentel/Getty Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2017.
In 2011, Baena met and started dating Plaza. The couple managed to keep their romance out of the public eye and the world only learned that the two had tied the knot in May 2021, when Plaza referred to Baena as her "darling husband" in an Instagram post.
"So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble," her caption read. A rep later confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple had gotten married.
He and Plaza collaborated numerous times
J. Countess/Getty Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2014.
Baena and Plaza worked together on several projects, including Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017) and Spin Me Round (2022).
"I'd say it's an amazing experience to work with your partner in this way. I've worked with Jeff since his first movie. I've seen him evolve and I've seen him grow. It's a really special dynamic that we have. It's challenging at times but it's also really rewarding to do something together like this," Plaza told MovieFreak.com in 2017.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Plaza revealed that she and Baena created their 2021 TV series Cinema Toast during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our house became this strange post-production facility and he's downstairs on his Zooms or on his sessions and I'm upstairs editing, we're just going back and forth," Plaza explained. "Yeah, it was very us. We were not baking sourdough bread, but we were sifting through hours of old movies and footage and re-cutting them together and just letting our minds go on a trip. So it was great."
They kept their relationship private
Mark Davis/Getty Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza in 2014.
Plaza and Baena did their best to keep their personal lives off the internet and out of the public eye.
Although Plaza is active on Instagram, she hardly ever shared photos of her husband. On Valentine's Day 2020, however, the actress gave fans a rare glimpse into their romance. Alongside a photo of herself holding a dagger up to Baena's chin while peering up at him, Plaza wrote simply, "and happy valentine's day."
In November 2022, Plaza mentioned Baena briefly during her interview with GQ.
"I've been with my husband for 12 years. I relate to being in a relationship that has peaks and valleys, and going through a rough patch and comparing yourself to another couple that seems perfect," the actress said when listing all the things that she and her White Lotus character, Harper, had in common.
He died in January 2025
Mat Hayward/Getty
Jeff Baena in 2022.
Baena died by suicide on Jan. 3, 2025, PEOPLE confirmed. He was 47.
"This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time," Plaza said in a statement to PEOPLE three days after her husband's death.
TMZ was the first to report the news. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that an assistant discovered Baena's body at a Los Angeles-area home around 10:30 a.m. PT, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In February 2025, Plaza honored her late husband at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special show by wearing a tie-dye shirt — similar to the tie-dye pajamas she and Baena wore on their wedding day.
It wasn't until August 2025 that Plaza spoke publicly about Baena's sudden death on Poehler's podcast, Good Hang.
"Overall, I'm here and I'm functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I'm OK, but it's like a daily struggle, obviously," she said, responding to the host's question about how she was coping with the tragedy.
He and Plaza separated in September 2024
Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena in 2017.
The medical examiner's report, which was released in March 2025, revealed that Baena and Plaza had been "experiencing marital difficulties" before the director's death. The pair had officially separated in September 2024.
The report also mentioned that Baena made "concerning remarks" to Plaza in October 2024 that "prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on her husband." Plaza's last communication with Baena was on the day of his death at 10:36 a.m. ET.
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