Indie screenwriter and director Jeff Baena has died at 47 years old. Representatives for Baena’s wife, “Parks and Rec” star Aubrey Plaza,” directed CBS News to a report of Baena’s death by Deadline.
His death was also confirmed to CBS News by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The coroner’s office reported that Baena died by suicide.
Baena is best known for the 2014 comedy “Life After Beth,” which starred Plaza, and his work co-writing 2004’s “I Heart Huckabees,” according to his IMDB page. More recently, he created, wrote, directed and executive produced Showtime’s 2021 series “Cinema Toast” and wrote, directed and produced the 2022 movie “Spin Me Round.”
Baena and Plaza, 40, wed in 2021. The pair frequently collaborated on his projects. Plaza opened up about the wedding on The Ellen Show, describing the ceremony as an impromptu event held in their backyard while they were sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The wedding was held on their tenth anniversary together, Plaza said.
“I just said ‘It’s our 10-year anniversary, we should do something, get an ice cream cone, you know, do something special. And then I joked about getting married and he’s like ‘Well, we probably couldn’t get married that fast,'” she said. “He was like ‘We probably couldn’t get married that fast.’ I said ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to get married on our actual anniversary? And then I Googled it, and I found OneHourMarriage.com, and then I called around 5 p.m., and I said ‘Can you come in an hour and marry me in our yard?'”
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He is survived by Plaza, his mother Barbara Stern, his stepfather Roger Stern, his father Scott Baena, his stepmother Michele Baena, and his brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman, according to Deadline.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
