Jeff Baena, the 47-year-old film director, screenwriter and husband of actress and producer Aubrey Plaza, was found dead at a Los Angeles residence on Friday, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed.
The manner of death is listed as suicide on the medical examiner's death certificate.
Baena is best known for directing indie films including The Little Hours and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees with David O. Russell.
He frequently collaborated with actress and producer Aubrey Plaza. The couple started dating in 2011 and got married in 2021.
"This is an unimaginable tragedy," said a statement shared by publicist Jodi Gottlieb with NPR on behalf of Plaza and Baena's family. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support."
Baena was born in Miami in 1977. He graduated from New York University and worked for filmmakers Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell.
NPR reached out to Baena's agent, lawyer and manager for confirmation of the death and comment, as well as various close associates, including actress Alison Brie and filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass. No one had responded or posted on social media at the time of publication.
Of their collaboration on the 2020 comedy thriller Horse Girl, Brie told Paste Magazine about going on hikes and double dates with the filmmaker. "We'd talk about every type of thing, and he'd bring up certain types of characters that I should play," she said. "Jeff and I [are] very close friends."
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