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Back in January, Hollywood was rocked by the news that Jeff Baena had taken his own life.
Baena was a filmmaker and the husband of beloved actress Aubrey Plaza.
Known for his sense of humor and effervescent personality, Baena’s death came as a complete shock to those who knew him best.
But sadly, it seems that Jeff’s life was not as picture-perfect as it appeared on the outside.
Jeff and Aubrey had been separated since September of 2024
Aubrey and Jeff closely guarded their privacy, and very little was known about their relationship.
In fact, no one even knew they’d tied the knot until several months later, when Aubrey let it slip in an Instagram post.
Now, we know that the marriage hit a rough patch in mid-to-late 2024.
According to a new report from People magazine, Jeff and Aubrey separated in September of that year.
One month later, Baena reportedly made “concerning remarks” to Plaza that “prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on her husband.”
This information comes from a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner report obtained by People.
Clearly, Aubrey’s concern for Jeff’s well-being did not diminish in the wake of their separation.
Sadly, in the end, there was nothing that could be done for him.
The ‘unimaginable’ loss of a beloved talent
In the wake of Jeff’s passing, Aubrey issued a statement cosigned by his family in which the 47-year-old’s death was described as “an unimaginable tragedy.”
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time,” the statement read.
The filmmaker was best known for writing and directing the 2014 zombie comedy Life After Beth, in which Aubrey starred.
When Aubrey attended last month’s SNL 50 special — her first public appearance since Jeff’s passing — she wore a tie-dyed t-shirt in honor of her late husband.
A source later explained that Jeff and Aubrey wore tie-dye for their stripped-down wedding ceremony during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“I think that one of the great things about our careers is that we are forced to be independent, take little breaks, go off and do our things and come back,” Plaza said about the relationship in a 2019 interview with People.
“So it’s kind of fun. Nothing is ever the same. You don’t want to spend too much time apart. But I think that there’s a way that it can work and there’s a balance in that.”
Our thoughts go out to Jeff’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
