(L.A.) Jeffrey Baena, 47, Ended His Life

Case Number: 2025-00131

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 47-year-old White/Caucasian male that occurred at his residence.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Jeffrey Baena.

Manner of Death: Suicide

Cause of Death: Hanging

RIP JEFFREY BAENA (June 29, 1977 – January 3, 2025)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Friday at 10:39 a.m.

Incident location: 2100 block of Fern Dell Place in The Oaks neighborhood of Los Feliz.

The decedent was Jeff Baena, the screenwriter and film director known for Joshy (2016), The Little Hours (2017), Horse Girl (2020), and Spin Me Round (2022), and for co-writing I Heart Huckabees (2004). He was married to actress Aubrey Plaza.

Baena and Plaza were experiencing marital difficulties in the months before his passing. She confirmed to police they they separated in September 2024 when she moved to New York.

Plaza also told investigators she and Baena remained in contact after the split. The pair spoke on the phone the night before his death, and he sent her a text message three hours before he was found dead.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national service that provides free and confidential support for individuals experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or mental health crises. Established in July 2022, it offers an easy-to-remember three-digit number (988) to connect callers with trained crisis counselors who can provide immediate assistance. Unlike 911, which focuses on emergency services, the 988 Lifeline is specifically designed to address mental health needs, with approximately 98% of calls not requiring emergency intervention. The service aims to reduce suicides and improve access to mental health care across the United States, responding to a growing crisis in mental health and substance use disorders.