Film director and screenwriter Jeff Baena, husband of Aubrey Plaza, dead at 47

Jeff Baena, the 47-year-old film director, screenwriter and husband of actress and producer Aubrey Plaza, was found dead at a Los Angeles residence on Friday, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed.

The death is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Baena's family has not confirmed the filmmaker's death. But a medical examiner's death certificate lists a man with Baena's name and date of birth dying at a residence in Hollywood.

According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office, the cause and manner of death have yet to be determined.

Baena is best known for directing indie films including The Little Hours and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees with David O. Russell.

He frequently collaborated with actress and producer Aubrey Plaza. The couple started dating in 2011 and got married in 2021.

Plaza had not publicly commented about the death at the time of publication.

Baena was born in Miami in 1977. He graduated from New York University and worked for filmmakers Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell.

NPR reached out to Baena's agent, lawyer and manager for confirmation of the death and comment, as well as various close associates, including actress Alison Brie and filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass. No one had responded or posted on social media at the time of publication.

Of their collaboration on the 2020 comedy thriller Horse Girl, Brie told Paste Magazine about going on hikes and double dates with the filmmaker. "We'd talk about every type of thing, and he'd bring up certain types of characters that I should play," she said. "Jeff and I [are] very close friends."
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