Following the tragic death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza has deleted her Instagram account. On January 13, a message on Plaza’s Instagram page read, “Sorry, this page isn’t available,” with a note stating, “The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
Baena, a renowned writer and director, died by suicide on January 3 at the age of 47, as reported by People. A spokesperson for Baena confirmed the death, revealing that his body was discovered at a residence in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
In a statement, Plaza and Baena’s family said, “This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
Plaza and Baena had been in a relationship since 2011, but it wasn’t until May 2021 that fans learned the couple had secretly married. Plaza referred to him as her “darling husband” in an Instagram post, according to People.
Baena, born and raised in Miami, attended film school at New York University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. Some of his notable works include the dark comedy “Spin Me Round” (2022), which starred Allison Brie and was co-written by Baena, as well as the dramedy “Joshy”. He was also involved in the psychological drama “Horse Girl” (2020), which he co-wrote with Brie. Baena’s work was showcased at major film festivals like Sundance and South by Southwest.
Baena is perhaps best known for co-writing the 2004 film “I Heart Huckabees”, which explored existential themes with humor, directed by David O. Russell.
Plaza had previously opened up about her experience working with Baena on several projects, explaining the dynamics of their professional relationship. “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 said. “So obviously you are able to support each other and really understand kind of the journey that we’re both on. 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,” she added.