Hollywood director Jeff Baena has died at the age of 47. Baena, who was married to "White Lotus" star Aubrey Plaza, was found unresponsive at his home in the Los Angeles area on Friday morning, according to TMZ. Police sources said that cops and fire department personnel were dispatched to the scene around 10:30 a.m. for a death investigation.
The director of "Life After Beth" was pronounced dead at the scene. The family shared with Deadline that they are heartbroken by the tragic news and have requested privacy during this difficult time. An investigation has been launched and sources in law enforcement said that they believe Baena died by suicide.
Tragic End to Life
Baena was best known for directing films like the 2014 horror-comedy "Life After Beth" and the 2017 comedy-drama "The Little Hours." He and actress Aubrey Plaza, 40, best known for her role in the sitcom "Parks and Recreation", married in 2021 after being together for ten years.
Baena entered the film industry after earning a degree in film from New York University, then moved to Los Angeles to begin his career.
He initially took on lower-level roles, working with well-known directors like Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell, where he gained experience. He served as a production assistant for Zemeckis and an assistant editor for Russell.
Baena gained recognition for directing his debut film, "Life After Beth."
He also co-wrote I Heart Huckabees, which earned a 2004 Gotham Award nomination for Best Feature.
Baena wrote "Life After Beth", which premiered at Sundance in 2014. His film "Joshy" also premiered at Sundance and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
He contributed to "Horse Girl and Spin Me Round."
Short but Illustrious Career
On the television front, Baena directed and executive produced the Showtime series "Cinema Toast," co-directing the project with his wife.
He married Aubrey Plaza in May 2021 in a private ceremony. The couple had kept their relationship mostly out of the public eye, with fans only finding out that they were married when Plaza subtly referred to him 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," the caption said.
Baena is survived by his wife, Plaza, as well as his mother, Barbara Stern, and stepfather, Roger Stern. He is also survived by his father, Scott Baena, and stepmother, Michele Baena, along with his brother, Brad Baena, and his step-siblings, Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
