Aubrey Plaza and her spouse Jeff Baena captured moments with friends in uncommon cheerful 2024 New Year’s photographs – one year prior to his unfortunate passing.
Jeff, a filmmaker aged 47, took his life inside the Los Angeles residence he inhabited with his actress partner Aubrey, 40.
Following his demise on Friday, the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office provided an update indicating he died by hanging at their Los Feliz residence.
In contrast, a year earlier, they were enjoying time with their friends for New Year’s, including Criminal Minds star Matthew Gray Gubler.
He uploaded pictures of their celebrations to his Twitter account on January 8, 2024, showcasing the couple joyfully partaking in the festivities.
The couple was depicted toasting with Champagne, while a delightful picture of Jeff and Matthew was taken before a Christmas tree in a New York apartment building.
Aubrey Plaza and her husband Jeff Baena posed with pals in rare fun-filled 2024 New Year’s snaps – a year before his tragic death
Last year they were spending time with their friends for New Year’s including Criminal Minds star Matthew Gray Gubler (seen here with Baena)
In his social media post, Matthew wrote: ‘my new year’s resolution of ‘never standing in public’ is off to a delightful start.’
An assistant discovered Baena’s body in the house they acquired in 2022, and authorities were dispatched to the residence at 10:25 am, as reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department to DailyMail.com.
‘Death was identified for a male approximately 47 years old, no transport,’ they noted in a statement.
‘We arrived at the 2100 block of Fern Dale Place for a death inquiry. Officers were sent for a deceased male,’ added the Los Angeles Police Department. The director of Life After Beth was declared deceased at the scene.
Baena’s relatives informed Deadline that they are heartbroken over the news and are requesting privacy during this time.
The couple was last seen together on a hike last summer, six months prior to his tragic suicide. On July 5, they were spotted enjoying a walk in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.
Clad in casual outdoor gear, the duo appeared at ease in each other’s company while they explored the park, which is favored by locals.
Baena entered the film industry after earning a film degree from New York University and relocating to LA to kickstart his career.
He shared snaps of their festivities to his Twitter account on January 8 2024 with the couple happily enjoying the celebrations
They were seen sipping on Champagne, while Jeff and Matthew had a sweet picture in front of a Christmas tree together
Filmmaker Jeff, 47, died by suicide inside the Los Angeles home he shared with his actress wife Aubrey, 40
Baena got into film after he graduated from New York University with a film degree and moved to LA to launch his career
He undertook entry-level roles for prominent directors, such as Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell, while establishing himself in the business. He served as a production assistant for Zemeckis and as an assistant editor for Russell.
He is widely recognized for directing Life After Beth, his first feature film starring Plaza, and The Little Hours.
Baena also collaborated on I Heart Huckabees, which received a nomination for a 2004 Gotham Award for Best Feature.
Additionally, he penned Life After Beth, which debuted at Sundance in 2014. His film Joshy likewise premiered at the prestigious festival and was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize.
The Miami native also contributed to Horse Girl and Spin Me Round.
For his television projects, he directed and served as executive producer for Showtime series Cinema Toast. He co-directed the endeavor alongside his wife.
He had also previously spoken openly regarding mental health prior to the debut of his 2020 film Horse Girl.
During a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, a user inquired whether the film’s protagonist Sarah, portrayed by Alison Brie, was depicted being released from the mental institution and if that scene drew from personal experiences.
In her last post with Baena shared in May 2021, the award-winning actress admired her ‘cherished husband’
Baena candidly disclosed having witnessed his stepmother struggle with bipolar disorder, stating: ‘Regrettably, individuals are released frequently while still in need of care,’ he noted in February 2020.
‘The 72-hour compulsory hold is applicable solely to patients who pose a risk to themselves, hence they must be discharged following that evaluation period.
‘My initial stepmother grappled with manic depression and frequently cycled through facilities in Miami because of the Baker Act (5150 in California).
‘Although I would not categorize “Horse Girl” as an activist film, the themes surrounding how society and individuals interact with people experiencing mental health issues were significant motivators for its creation.’
Baena and Brie collaboratively penned the film, drawing from the latter’s familial history with mental disorders, notably the actress’ grandmother, who contended with schizophrenia.
‘That served as the original motivation for crafting a narrative like this,’ Brie, who is wed to actor Dave Franco, remarked on the forum.
The director, who is married to Aubrey Plaza, also mentioned how his family’s legacy with mental health challenges had shaped the storyline of the film.
He covertly wed The White Lotus star in 2020 nearly a decade after their initial encounter, keeping their romance mostly out of public view.
Plaza has yet to comment publicly on the passing of her spouse.
The actress’s last Instagram post featuring her husband expressed how ‘proud’ she felt of him.
In her final post with Baena shared in May 2021, the award-winning actress admired her ‘cherished husband’.
‘So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for conceptualizing another film that takes us to Italia to stir up some more mischief,’ she captioned the post.
The poignant last post together showed the star couple lovingly gazing into each other’s eyes and was accompanied by screenshots of a Deadline article outlining their ‘new project’ – the 2022 film Spin Me Round.
Baena is survived by his wife, his mother Barbra Stern, stepfather Roger Stern, his stepmother Michele Baena, his brother Brad Baena, and his step-siblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
Aubrey enjoyed a New York Knicks Game just two days prior to his tragic demise
It coincides with Aubrey being scheduled to present at the 2025 Golden Globes prior to the tragic passing
Aubrey enjoyed a New York Knicks Game just two days before his tragic demise.
The actress was seated in the front row at Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Day to witness the home team’s match against the Utah Jazz.
In a photo posted on the Knicks’ Instagram, Plaza was seen in jeans, a black corduroy jacket, and an orange cap perched atop her straight, brunette hair.
‘Kicking off the new year with our courtside friends,’ the organization captioned alongside a carousel featuring prominent fans, including Tracee Ellis Ross, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann and their daughter, Maude, and Keegan-Michael Key.
It coincides with Aubrey being scheduled to present at the 2025 Golden Globes before the tragic passing.