Indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, who was married to his frequent creative collaborator Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47.
Baena was found dead Friday at a Los Angeles home, according to medical examiner’s records. The circumstances were unclear Saturday. The records indicated that the medical examiner’s office was investigating and did not include any information on where specifically his body was discovered or the cause of death.
The medical examiner’s office said in an email to The Associated Press on Saturday that Baena was pronounced dead at 10:39 a.m. at a residence in the 2100 block of Fern Dell Place in Los Angeles. A full report won’t be available until the case is closed, the office said.
A representative for Plaza responded to a request for comment with a link to a story about Baena’s death on the entertainment industry news site Deadline.
Baena co-wrote David O. Russell’s 2004 film “I Heart Huckabees” and wrote and directed five of his own films, mostly dark comedies. Plaza starred in his directorial debut, the 2014 zombie comedy “Life After Beth,” and appeared in two of his other films: “The Little Hours” and “Spin Me Round.”
Plaza, 40, 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.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
