Hollywood is mourning the loss of indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, whose unexpected death was reported on January 3. The 47-year-old writer and director, who was married to Agatha All Along actress Aubrey Plaza, was found dead in his home by an assistant, law enforcement initially told TMZ. Since news first broke of his tragic passing, medical examiner records confirmed that Baena died by suicide. Here, a look back on the legacy he left behind.
Jeff Baena’s movies
The accomplished filmmaker began studying his craft at New York University before heading to Hollywood, and over the years brought countless movies to life that we love to look back on. One of his most notable films was Life After Beth (2014), starring his wife Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon. Some of the other notable films he directed include 2016’s Joshy, The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), and his most recent, Spin Me Round (2022). Baena also co-wrote many of these films, including the 2004 hit I Heart Huckabees.
Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza’s relationship
Baena collaborated with his wife Aubrey Plaza on several projects in the past, her starring in films like Life After Beth and The Little Hours, but they actually met all the way back in 2011. After several years together, they tied the knot during the pandemic. Plaza detailed the big day during a 2021 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.
“Jeff got really into tie-dying during the quarantine, so I decided that Jeff and I were going to wear tie-dye pajamas that he had made for us, so we wore tie-dye pajamas and then I had my little rosemary crown and I made like a love altar in the backyard of all of our love objects. It was very witch-core, but it happened.
“We were quarantined for months and months like everybody else,” Plaza told PEOPLE in 2021. “And we did enjoy it. I think it was, obviously other than all of the catastrophic things happening in the world, just on a personal level, relationship level, was kind of nice to just be forced to be in one place for that long.”
Remembering Jeff Baena
Since his passing, there has been an outpouring of love and support for Baena’s loved ones, along with tributes to his enduring legacy. Amid the 2025 Golden Globes—which Plaza was originally scheduled to present an award—Best Director winner Brady Corbet expressed his condolences, saying, ‘Tonight, my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family.’
In the wake of Baena’s passing, we send our support to his wife, family and those that loved him as we remember his accomplished career.
