Jeff Baena, Writer and Director, Dies at 47

Jeff Baena, the talented writer and director, has passed away at the age of 47. PEOPLE confirmed the sad news, and law enforcement sources told TMZ that Baena was found dead at a Los Angeles-area home on Friday, January 3, around 10:30 a.m. The cause of death was reported as suicide.

Baena, originally from Miami, pursued his passion for filmmaking at New York University before moving to Los Angeles to further his career. Over the years, he amassed an impressive resume, with more than a dozen directing and writing credits.

He is perhaps best known for co-writing the 2004 film I Heart Huckabees, starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, and Naomi Watts. Baena made his directorial debut with Life After Beth, a zombie comedy featuring his wife, actress Aubrey Plaza. He later went on to create the anthology series Cinema Toast, which aired on Showtime in 2021 and marked Plaza's own directorial debut.

Baena and Plaza, who began dating in 2011, kept their relationship largely private. It wasn’t until May 2021 that Plaza revealed they had married, referring to him as her “darling husband” in a heartfelt Instagram post.

The entertainment world mourns the loss of a visionary who contributed significantly to both film and television.