Aubrey Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena’s ‘woefully too-short life’ commemorated in poignant obituary
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Aubrey Plaza's husband, Jeff Baena, was remembered in a touching obituary that was published in the Miami Herald following his "sudden and unexpected" death.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, the 47-year-old filmmaker died by suicide on January 3 and was discovered dead at a Los Angeles residence.
Jeff Baena remembered as 'beloved son, husband, brother, uncle and friend'
The new obituary released by The Miami Herald remembered Jeff Baena as "a beloved son, husband, brother, uncle and friend to many", per People.
It read: "Jeff left us too soon but despite his woefully too-short life, he left us with treasured memories of a gifted filmmaker, as well as a very special person on so many different levels."
Besides recalling his early years in Miami, the obituary mentioned Baena's education at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and his relocation to Los Angeles to follow his aspirations of becoming a filmmaker.
The obituary read: "Jeff was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Killian High School in Kendall, Florida."
"He graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 1999. Upon graduation, Jeff relocated to Los Angeles to pursue writing and directing movies. He began as a production assistant for Robert Zemeckis," it added.
It stated that Baena later worked as writer-director David O Russell's assistant editor, co-editing 'I Heart Huckabees' and making uncredited changes to 'Meet the Fockers', per Daily Mail.
Since 2004, Baena was frequently given credit for both writing and directing the movies he was involved with, while occasionally he worked with others.
"Jeff fell in love with film at 11 years old watching A Clockwork Orange and Felini's 8 1/2, elements of which influenced his own movies decades later," the statement read.
"His body of work is testimony to his keen intellect. Each of his films reflects a carefully crafted balance of the logical and the implausible," it added.
Jeff Baena honored for being a 'true relationship builder'
The obituary also honored Jeff Baena's fondness for being "a true relationship builder with a gift for bringing people together on and off the movie set".
According to the statement, the late filmmaker enjoyed reading Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 'The Little Prince' as a youngster.
"Ironically, in it, the Little Prince exclaims, 'I haven't much time. I have friends to find and so many things to learn.' And so it was for Jeff," the obituary read in part.
It also included a list of his surviving family members, including his famous wife Aubrey Plaza, who deactivated her Instagram account after his tragic death.
The obituary read: "Jeff is survived by his wife, Aubrey Plaza; parents, Barbara Stern (Roger) and Scott Baena (Michele); brother, Brad (Ivette); step-sister Bianca Gabay (Maurice); step-brother Jed Fluxman (Nicole); nephews Jake Baena and Leo Fluxman; nieces Brielle Baena, Ava and Olivia Gabay. Jeff joins his beloved Stevie."
"We shall always love and deeply miss Jeff. His presence, as well as his work, made the world feel better. He had lots more to offer. Alas, all that is gone. Sweet dreams, our Little Prince," the obituary concluded.
Plaza, 40, and Baena's family released a statement to People on Monday, January 6, regarding his death, saying, "This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."
Among the films that Baena wrote and directed were 'I Heart Huckabees' (2004), 'Life After Beth' (2014), 'Horse Girl' (2020), and his last work, 'Spin Me Round' (2022).
Although he and Plaza began dating in 2011, they weren't married until 2021.
