Aubrey Plaza Breaks Silence on Husband Jeff Baena’s Death: ‘An Unimaginable Tragedy’

Aubrey Plaza is speaking out for the first time since her husband Jeff Baena died by suicide Friday. In a brief statement on Monday, on behalf of Plaza and the Baena and Stern family, the actress asked for privacy and thanked everyone for their support.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” read the statement. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Baena was 47. He made his directorial debut with the zombie comedy Life After Beth, which starred his then-girlfriend Plaza; in 2021, the actress revealed that she and Baena had married after a decade of dating. Baena’s other films include 2016’s Joshy and three movies he made with actress Alison Brie: 2017’s The Little Hours (which also co-starred Plaza), 2020’s Horse Girl, and his most recent feature, 2022’s Spin Me Round.

TMZ first reported that police responded to a death investigation at a Los Angeles home on Friday morning, with Baena pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later confirmed to Variety that Baena died by suicide.

During Sunday’s Golden Globes, The Brutalist director Brady Corbet acknowledged Aubrey Plaza’s late husband, Jeff Baena, during his acceptance speech: “Tonight my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff’s family,” he said onstage. Plaza was originally scheduled to present an award at the Sunday ceremony.

Plaza spoke about their relationship during a 2019 interview with People. “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 told the outlet. “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.”

Dial 988 in the US to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).

From Rolling Stone US.