Actress Aubrey Plaza has spoken publicly for the first time following the death of her husband, writer and director Jeff Baena. The star of the hit series ‘Agatha All Along‘ issued a statement along with the Baena and Stern families on Monday (January 6) to Just Jared.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time,” the statement read.
Jeff Baena, died by suicide, at age 47 with the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner confirming the cause of death over the weekend.
His sudden death prompted Plaza to step aside from her duties presenting the 82nd Golden Globes in Los Angels on Sunday evening. The grieving actress and her late husband were briefly acknowledged during the awards ceremony, where tributes poured in from across the entertainment industry.
Baena, an independent filmmaker directed Plaza in his 2017 dark comedy film “The Little Hours” and co-wrote David O. Russell’s 2004 comedy movie “I Heart Huckabees.” The pair began dating in 2001 and were married in May 2021.
Accordng to a report on AP, he had been dating Plaza for three years before she starred in his 2014 directorial debut, the zombie comedy “Life After Beth.” His next film, 2016’s “Joshy,” featured Thomas Middleditch as a man who gets together with friends months after his fiancee commits suicide.
Baena said to Marc Maron in a 2017 interview that it was “amazing” to work with Plaza, who appeared in four of his five films. The 40-year-old actor and producer rose to fame playing April Ludgate on the television series “Parks and Recreation” and was nominated for an Emmy for her role on “The White Lotus.” The couple married in 2021.
“The opportunities to create together, to do something creative where we’re both fulfilled, it’s like, how rare is that? She’s down and she’s so talented, so I’m really lucky,” Baena said.
Baena is survived by his mother, Barbara Stern; father Scott Baena; stepfather Roger Stern; stepmother Michele Baena; brother Brad Baena; stepsister Bianca Gabay; and stepbrother Jed Fluxman.
