Aubrey Plaza’s Husband Jeff Baena: From Indie Films to Unexpected Plot Twist
News of the shocking release of how 47-year-old director Jeff Baena—husband to actress Aubrey Plaza—died suddenly has shaken the entertainment world. He was a filmmaker known for quirky films and numerous collaborations with Plaza, up until his death on January 3rd in Los Angeles. The cause of death, according to officials, was suicide—a plot twist no one saw coming.
Baena, a graduate of NYU’s film school, made his mark with indie gems like Life After Beth (his directorial debut) and The Little Hours. He also co-wrote the existential comedy I Heart Huckabees—a title as confusing as the movie itself. But Jeff’s most notable collaboration? His real-life rom-com with Aubrey Plaza, a saga filled with humor, love, and occasional weirdness.
The couple met in 2011 during a game of Balderdash (because of course), and from that point on, they were partners in both life and cinema. “We’re obsessed with movies,” Plaza once gushed. “That’s why we keep making them together.” It’s a relatable sentiment—who doesn’t bond over yelling at the screen during movie nights?
Their romance hit a peak in 2020 when, after a decade together, they got married in true pandemic fashion: in their backyard with an officiant they booked online. “It was our ten-year anniversary,” Plaza told Ellen DeGeneres. “I joked about getting married, and Jeff said, ‘Why not?’ So we did it. And then we got ice cream.” Talk about multitasking.
Professionally, the pair churned out several films together, with Plaza starring in many of Baena’s works. While working on their final film, Spin Me Round, Baena called Plaza “awesome” and admitted he’d work with her even if she weren’t his wife. But hey, the marriage perks probably didn’t hurt.
Despite their mutual love for filmmaking, Plaza once admitted that working with her husband could be a challenge. “It’s all about balance,” she said, and it looks like they found it—at least until life threw an unexpected curveball.
Baena’s passing has left a void not only in the independent film world but also in the lives of loved ones. Survived by his wife, Aubrey, and an extended family that could give the cast of a Wes Anderson film a run for their money, fans and friends will have to content themselves by remembering his work, his charm, and, of course, his peculiar love story with Plaza—one that began with laughter and movies but ended on a somber note.
Looking back at Baena’s life, it is clear that he lived like one of his movies: quirky, heartfelt, and occasionally unpredictable. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that his legacy lives on in the movies he made and the people he inspired. And perhaps, just perhaps, he is now, somewhere, pitching his next project to the great studio in the sky.
source: eonline.com
