The Life After Beth film director Jeff Baena, actress Aubrey Plaza’s husband, was found dead in his home in Los Angeles at age 47. His assistant found him dead on Friday at 10:30 am. When medics arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The news has shaken the film industry as the director was taken away so soon and so suddenly.
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The family is mourning
According to Deadline, the family is devastated by the director’s tragic passing and is asking for privacy during this difficult time. The circumstances surrounding the late director’s death and what led to it are still unclear and no official statements have been made.
How he started
Baena graduated from New York University with a film degree and then moved to Los Angeles to kickstart his career in the film industry.
The renowned film director started from the bottom, where he worked as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis and as an assistant editor for David O. Russell.
His famous works
Baena is most known for his work directing Life After Beth, his directorial debut in which his wife Plaza starred, and The Little Hours. Additionally, he co-wrote I Heart Huckabees, a movie that was nominated for a 2004 Gotham Award for Best Feature.
His other works
Baena had both Joshy and Life After Beth premiere at Sundance in 2014. In addition, he was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize for them.
The late director also filmed Horse Girl and Spin Me Round. Concerning series, he directed and executive produced the Showtime series Cinema Toast.
His love story with Plaza
The pair married in 2021, 10 years after they met in 2011. The couple generally kept their relationship at bay, away from the spotlight and their marriage was a secret. As of this moment, Plaza has not commented on the tragic passing of her husband.
Plaza was “proud” of him
Plaza’s final Instagram post with Baena in May 2021 shared how proud she was of him, with a caption saying: “So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that take us to Italia to cause some more trouble.”
The post is now heartbreaking
Now that her husband is gone, the last picture she is left with on her Instagram is a picture of him lovingly gazing into her eyes accompanied by screenshots of a Deadline article detailing their then-new 2022 film Spin Me Round.
Spin Me Round, his latest project
Baena directed and co-wrote Spin Me Round alongside actress Allison Brie, and the movie also featured Plaza. The film shone to light at the South by Southwest festival in March 2022 and then was released by IFC Films in theaters and by AMC+ in August 2022.
More about the movie
The movie talks about a woman who wins an all-expenses-paid trip to a company’s gorgeous “institute,” and an opportunity to meet the restaurant chain’s wealthy and charismatic owner, as reported by IMDb.
He may be gone, but he will surely live through his work
Baena is survived by his wife, Aubrey Plaza, his mother Barbra Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, his stepmother Michele Baena, and father Scott Baena, in addition to his brother Brad Baena, and his step-siblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
May his soul rest in peace.
Last Updated on January 5, 2025 by Rachel Backland
