Why Did Aubrey Plaza And Her Husband Jeff Baena Split Up? All We Know About Late Filmmaker's Life

Actress and comedian, Aubrey Plaza has kept her private life away from the limelight till recently, when she spoke up for the first time about her late husband, Jeff Baena’s demise, eight months after his death. For the Parks and Recreation actress, her marriage to the late filmmaker was a quiet yet deeply significant chapter in her story. Even though they had separated months before Jeff’s death, they had remained in touch throughout, with Aubrey checking in on him from time to time, worrying about his mental health.

Behind Aubrey Plaza’s dark humour now lingers a painful past as she grapples with the loss of her husband, Jeff, to suicide in January 2025 at age 47. The White Lotus actress recently opened up about dealing with the grief following Baena’s passing, as she opened up about the ‘giant ocean of awfulness’ that she has found herself in. Her heartbreaking revelations in Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast have reignited interest in the actress’s long-time relationship with Jeff Baena. 

While Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena’s romance lasted over a decade, with the duo marrying in secret in 2021, they quietly separated just months before the filmmaker’s passing. Here’s what we know about the late writer-director’s life.

What happened to Aubrey Plaza’s husband, Jeff Baena?

Jeff Baena, 47, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on January 3, 2025. The medical examiner later ruled the cause of his death as suicide, as reported. His body was discovered by a dog walker who arrived that morning and noticed unusually loud music coming from his house. In a joint statement with Baena’s family, Aubrey Plaza called the tragedy ‘unimaginable’ and asked for privacy. Later, the family honoured the filmmaker in an obituary, describing him as a ‘true relationship builder’. 

Why did Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena split?

Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena had been romantically involved since 2011 and worked on multiple projects together, including Baena’s directorial debut, Life After Beth (2014). They had built a beautiful life together beyond the silver screen and were often seen supporting each other’s works. In 2021, after dating for a decade, the two married in secret and were inseparable. However, three years into the marriage, they separated in silence in September 2024. 

While neither Plaza nor Baena publicly addressed their silent separation, a report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed that the couple had been ‘experiencing marital difficulties’ in 2024 before officially separating. After the separation, Plaza relocated to New York, while her estranged husband, Baena, stayed in Los Angeles.

Even though they no longer lived together, Aubrey and Jeff deeply cared for each other and remained in contact. After the filmmaker’s body was discovered in his LA residence, Plaza had told the investigators that they had spoken the night before his death and that Baena even sent her a text message just three hours before he was found dead. 

Plaza was concerned about her estranged husband’s well-being. A month into their separation, in October 2024, Baena had reportedly made some ‘concerning remarks’ to the Agatha All Along actress, which had prompted her to contact a friend to check on him. In the months before his passing, Jeff Baena had begun therapy.

Who was Jeff Baena?

Jeff Baena was an American screenwriter and film director. Born June 29, 1977, in Miami, Florida, Baena had an interest in filmmaking and took film studies at New York University. After completing his education, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of directing and started working for ace filmmakers like Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell. In 2004, Baena co-wrote the 2004 cult comedy I Heart Huckabees, starring Naomi Watts, Jason Schwartzman and Jude Law.

Jeff Baena’s directorial journey began with Life After Beth (2014), a zombie comedy starring his then-girlfriend, Aubrey Plaza. In the years that followed, the filmmaker went on to direct several indie comedies with offbeat tones, notably Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), and Spin Me Round (2022). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baena developed Cinema Toast, a showtime analogy series that marked the directorial debut of Plaza.

Inside Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena’s private love story

Aubrey Plaza was a part of Jeff Baena’s life years before he became known in Hollywood’s circles as a film director. The duo met through friends and started dating in 2011. Throughout their relationship, they not only shared a deep bond but also connected over their love and passion for film. 

Throughout their time together, Plaza and Baena managed to keep their relationship largely out of the limelight until 2021, when the couple announced their marriage on social media. After a secret wedding, Plaza took to her Instagram and shared a photo of them, casually referring to Baena as her ‘darling husband’. Later, a representative confirmed to PEOPLE that they were officially married.

Plaza and Baena collaborated on multiple projects, with the actress starring in several of Baena’s works, including Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017) and Spin Me Round (2022). Speaking about her experience collaborating with her husband, Plaza told Moviefreak.com in a 2017 interview:

"I'd say it's an amazing experience to work with your partner in this way. I've worked with Jeff since his first movie. I've seen him evolve, and I've seen him grow. It's a really special dynamic that we have. It's challenging at times, but it's also really rewarding to do something together like this.”

In several interviews, Aubrey and Jeff noted that their creative chemistry was what made their relationship more special. Though no longer married, they shared a loving bond till Baena’s death earlier this year.

Aubrey Plaza breaks her silence, months after Jeff Baena’s death

After Jeff Baena’s death in January 2025, Aubrey Plaza remained silent for eight months. However, in August 2025, the actress finally opened up to her friend and Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast. 

Speaking about the grief of losing her partner of 14 years, Plaza described it as an ocean that she sometimes dives in and avoids other times. The actress compared grief to a film called The Gorge, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller, as she remarked:

“This is a really dumb analogy, and it was kind of a joke at a certain point, but I actually mean it. Did you see that movie The Gorge? ... In the movie, there's like a cliff on one side and there's a cliff on the other side, then there's a gorge in between, and it's filled with all these, like, monster people that are trying to get to them. I swear, when I watched it, I was like that feels like what my grief is like … or what grief could be like."

Remembering Jeff Baena

Even though their marriage ended before Baena’s passing, Aubrey Plaza has continued to honour her late husband’s memory. A month after his death, in February 2025, the actress-comedian wore a tie-dye shirt at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special, in tribute to the tie-dye pyjamas they wore on their wedding day.

Jeff Baena leaves behind a legacy of indie filmmaking marked by offbeat humour, bold risks, and uncompromising creativity. For Aubrey Plaza, his death meant losing not only a husband but also a creative partner and friend, a loss that continues to shape her life.

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