Actress Aubrey Plaza was separated from her husband Jeff Baena months before the director committed suicide in Los Angeles, DailyMail.com has confirmed.
According to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the LA County Medical Examiner, Plaza and Baena broke up in September 2024.
Baena was found dead on January 3 at the couple’s former marital home in LA, where the director was still living. Plaza has been living in New York since their separation.
A dog walker called 911 after she discovered Baena’s body after he had died by hanging, the report said.
Baena was 47.
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena had been separated for months before his body was found in January
An investigator who spoke to Plaza, whose name was redacted from the report, said the actress spoke to her estranged husband the night before he killed himself.
‘She confirmed she had been separated from her husband Jeffrey Baena since September 2024,’ the investigator said. ‘In October 2024, Baena made concerning remarks to [Plaza] which prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on her husband. Baena had been attending therapy since that event.’
There were no alcohol or drugs found in Baena’s system, according to the report.
No suicide note was found, but a cell phone was located on a step between the vertical rails of the upper staircase, an investigator wrote.
Aubrey Plaza made a surprise appearance at the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special on Feb. 16, 2025. It was her first public appearance since her husband’s death
The director did not have a history of previous suicide attempts, but he had a history of having difficulty sleeping.
The report also noted Plaza ‘knew her husband to be alive’ when he sent her a text message that morning.
The dog walker, whose name was also redacted from the report, told investigators she arrived about 10:25 a.m. on January 3 to walk Baena’s dog as usual.
‘She heard loud music from within the house, which was unusual,’ the investigator said. ‘She yelled at him [Baena] and received no response. [The dog walker] ran to retrieve the decedent’s dog and left the building to call 911.’
In a short statement obtained by DailyMail, a rep for the Plaza, 40, said: ‘This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.’
Baena got into film after he graduated from New York University with a film degree and moved to LA to launch his career.
He worked low-level jobs for big directors, including Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell as he found his footing in the industry. He worked as a production assistant for Zemeckis and as an assistant editor for Russell.
Actress Aubrey is greeted with a hug while visiting a friend with her dog in Los Angeles. The grieving star has kept a fairly low profile since the passing of her husband on January 3
He is best known for directing Life After Beth, his directorial debut, which Plaza starred in, and The Little Hours.
He also co-wrote I Heart Huckabees, which was nominated for a 2004 Gotham Award for Best Feature.
He also wrote Life After Beth, which premiered at Sundance in 2014. His film Joshy also premiered at the famous festival and was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize.
The Miami native also worked on Horse Girl and Spin Me Round.
For his television works, he directed and executive produced Showtime series Cinema Toast. He co-directed the product with his wife.
He secretly married The White Lotus star in 2020 almost a decade after they met, keeping their relationship largely out of the limelight.
Plaza has not publicly commented on the death of her husband.
The actress’s final Instagram post with her husband revealed how ‘proud’ she was of him.
