Did Heartbreak Cause Aubrey Plaza's Husband to Take His Life? Jeff Baena's Autopsy Reveals Filmmaker and Actress Wife Were 'Separated for Months' Before His Suicide Aged 47
'White Lotus' star Aubrey Plaza had separated from her husband Jeff Baena months before his tragic suicide.
March 20 2025, Published 12:22 p.m. ET
Aubrey Plaza and her late husband Jeff Baena split months before he committed suicide aged 47, sparking fears he took his own life out of heartbreak.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the couple's rocky marital status was disclosed in a Medical Examiner's report following the director's tragic death in January.
Plaza honored her late husband Jeff Baena during the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special.
Documents said the pair had been separated since November 2024, four months before he was dead inside their L.A. home.
Police said they were told the couple had been apart for months, when Plaza, 40, moved to New York.
Baena's cause of death was also confirmed as suicide in the Medical Examiner's report.
The docs also added no drugs, alcohol, nor a suicide note were found at the scene.
Plaza broke her silence on her husband's death in January, saying his death was an 'unimaginable tragedy'.
His body was found by an assistant at the property, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:39am.
Filmmaker Baena married White Lotus actress Plaza in 2021.
The couple starred in Parks and Recreation and wed after a decade together.
They kept both the engagement and marriage a secret before Plaza described Baena as her "darling husband" in a touching Instagram post in 2021.
Plaza told how "proud" she was of him in the post — their final together.
Baena spoke openly about his mental health before his film Horse Girl was released in 2020 on a Reddit Ask Me Anything forum.
Baena was pronounced dead after his body was found at his and Plaza's Los Angeles home.
The screenwriter was asked about the film's main character, Sarah, played by Alison Brie, being released from the mental hospital and if that specific scene was based on personal experiences.
Baena responded, admitting to watching his own stepmom suffer bipolar disorder.
He wrote in February 2020: "Unfortunately, people get released all the time when they still need treatment.
"The 72-hour mandatory hold only applies to patients who are a danger to themselves, so they must be released after that appraisal period."
Baena was born and raised in Miami before he headed to New York to attend film school at university.
Plaza starred alongside her late husband in hit comedy 'Parks and Recreation.'
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He then started his journey as a filmmaker in Los Angeles where he became a writer.
In 2004 he co-wrote the hit film I Heart Huckabees and worked with Hollywood elites Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts.
A decade later, Baena found his big solo break with the zombie flick Life After Beth, which starred his future wife Plaza as well as comedy star John C. Reilly.
The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize before its A24 release.
Following his death, a statement on behalf of Plaza and Baena's family was released.
It read: "This is an unimaginable tragedy.
"We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
Baena is survived by Plaza, mother Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
