Watch: Aubrey Plaza Separated From Husband Jeff Baena Months Before His Death
Content warning: This story discusses suicide.
Jeff Baena was in contact with his estranged wife Aubrey Plaza right to the end.
While the couple quietly separated in September after three years of marriage, the Parks and Recreation alum told authorities she received a text message from Baena just three hours before he was found dead by suicide in his Los Angeles home Jan. 3, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report obtained by E! News March 19. Police also said in the docs that the pair spoke over the phone the night before Baena’s death.
Additionally, Plaza, 40, told investigators that the film director “made concerning remarks” one month after their breakup, per the medical examiner’s report, leading the actress—who moved to New York at the time of the separation—to ask a friend to perform a welfare check on him. Baena, who was 47, began attending therapy following the incident, according to the report.
On the morning of his death, the Horse Girl director’s body was found by his dog walker who arrived as scheduled, according to investigators. The dog walker reported hearing loud music coming from the house, which she described as “unusual,” and discovered the body upon entering the home, per the medical examiner report.
E! News reached out to a rep for Plaza for comment but has not heard back.
Days after Baena’s passing, Plaza—who began dating the filmmaker in 2011—released a joint statement with his family to E! News calling his death “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Mark Davis/Getty Images for Sundance NEXT
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support,” the statement continued. “Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Baena’s family later honored his life and work in a heartfelt obituary, writing that his films reflected “a carefully crafted balance of the logical and the implausible.”
“His juxtaposition of intellect and creativity challenged us,” they wrote in the tribute originally published by the Miami Herald in January. “He embraced independent filmmaking because of his unalterable distaste for institutional guardrails on creativity.”
The memorial also characterized him as “a true relationship builder with a gift for bringing people together,” noting that “no one ever left his get-togethers as a stranger.”
For a look back at Plaza and Baena’s relationship, keep reading.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GREY GOOSE
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.”
Photo by Chad Hurst/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival
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.
Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival
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.”
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!!”
Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
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?”
Robin Marchant/Getty Images
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.
Jeff and Aubrey were experiencing “marital difficulties” in the months before his passing, according to a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report released in March 2025. In the report, obtained by E! News, police said Aubrey confirmed that the two separated in September 2024 when she moved to New York.
However, Aubrey told investigators she and Jeff remained in contact after the split, according to the report. Officials said the pair spoke on the phone the night before Jeff’s death, while Aubrey told police he sent her a text message three hours before he was found dead.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
