Before the tragic events of 2025, Aubrey Plaza and her husband Jeff Baena shared a joyful moment with friends during their 2024 New Year’s celebrations.
A year ago, things were much different—filled with laughter and love as the couple spent time with friends, including Criminal Minds star Matthew Gray Gubler.
Pictures from that day, shared by Gubler on Twitter, showed the couple happily sipping champagne and enjoying the festivities, their smiles captured in front of a Christmas tree in a New York apartment.
In his tweet, Gubler joked about his New Year’s resolution, saying, “My new year’s resolution of ‘never standing in public’ is off to a wonderful start,” while the group radiated warmth and good spirits.
At that moment, no one could have imagined the heartbreak that would unfold just a year later.
A Heartbreaking Loss
Sadly, Jeff Baena passed away by suicide at their Los Feliz home on January 5, 2025.
The 47-year-old filmmaker, who had collaborated with his wife on various projects, was found by an assistant.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his cause of death, revealing that he had taken his life at the home they had purchased in 2022.
The Los Angeles Fire Department and the LAPD responded to the scene, where Baena was pronounced dead.
His family released a statement expressing devastation and requesting privacy during this difficult time.
They had been spotted together just six months earlier, on a summer hike in Griffith Park, looking peaceful and content in each other’s company.
Baena’s Legacy in Film
Jeff Baena’s career was a testament to his dedication to the film industry.
After graduating from New York University with a film degree, Baena moved to LA, working behind the scenes for some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell.
His passion for storytelling eventually led him to direct films like Life After Beth, The Little Hours, and Joshy, the latter of which earned praise at Sundance.
Baena’s film Horse Girl and its exploration of mental health were deeply personal, as the filmmaker had spoken candidly about his stepmother’s struggle with bipolar disorder.
His honest reflections on mental illness, especially in his 2020 Reddit AMA, highlighted his desire to shine a light on how society handles mental health.
His openness about his family’s challenges played a significant role in shaping the films he created.
A Private Life
While Baena’s professional life was in the spotlight, his personal life with Aubrey Plaza remained largely private.
The couple had been together for nearly a decade before they quietly married in 2020.
Plaza, known for her role in Parks and Recreation, kept her relationship with Baena out of the public eye, focusing instead on their work together.
In her final Instagram post about him in May 2021, Plaza shared how proud she was of her husband, praising his creativity in making films that took them on adventures, like their 2022 project Spin Me Round.
The couple’s last public moments were captured in a beautiful photo, where they gazed lovingly at each other, accompanied by an article announcing their latest project.
Aubrey Plaza’s Resilience
Just two days before Baena’s tragic death, Plaza was seen at a New York Knicks game, sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden.
She looked relaxed in casual attire, surrounded by friends and fellow celebrities.
The Knicks shared the moment on their Instagram, showing Plaza enjoying the New Year with others like Tracee Ellis Ross and Judd Apatow.
At the time, Plaza had been preparing for a big year, with plans to present at the 2025 Golden Globes.
The joy of that moment was in stark contrast to the unimaginable loss that was soon to follow.
Aubrey Plaza has not publicly spoken about her husband’s passing, but her final moments with him and the loving support of her family and friends speak volumes about their deep connection.
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