Jeffrey Lance Baena, indie filmmaker, screenwriter, and husband of actress Aubrey Plaza, died by suicide on January 3, 2025, at the age of 47 in his Los Angeles home. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed the manner of death as suicide People.com+15Wikipedia+15Los Angeles Times+15.

Born in Miami on June 29, 1977, Baena was an NYU film school graduate who got his start assisting on Robert Zemeckis and David O. Russell films. His breakthrough came with co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004), and he went on to direct beloved indie comedies such as Life After Beth (2014), Joshy (2016), and Spin Me Round (2022) The Washington Post+4Los Angeles Times+4NBC10 Philadelphia+4.

His sudden loss was described by Aubrey Plaza as an “unimaginable tragedy,” with family requesting privacy during their grief LOS40+4Los Angeles Times+4The Sun+4. Tributes from collaborators noted his warmth, creativity, and quiet sense of humor—an artistic spirit gone too soon. .

Jeff Baena leaves a legacy defined by irreverent wit, heartfelt storytelling, and the kind of quiet innovation that shaped independent cinema.