Tragedy has struck the home of Agatha All Along star Aubrey Plaza whose filmmaker husband Jeff Baena has died aged 47.
The news was first reported by TMZ, who spoke to law enforcement after police and fire departments responded to a 911 call on Friday morning around 10:30am.
An assistant is said to have discovered him in the home he shared with his wife of three years, but the pair had been together since 2011, and it is said he died by suicide. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jeff Baena and Aubrey Plaza at Lisa Edelstein’s Birthday Party at Private Residence in 2016 Pic: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The filmmaker was known for his work on the films Life After Beth (starring Plaza, John C Reilly and Molly Shannon) and The Little Hours, and started his career working with other directors such as David O Russell and Robert Zemeckis.
It was his work with the former that helped him carve a career of his own when he moved to LA, and the pair collaborated on four screenplays in total, including I Heart Huckabees.
Aubrey and Jeff wed in secret, only revealing their nuptials when promoting their most recent collaboration, Spin Me Round, where she paid tribute to Baena and referred to him has her husband.
She wrote: ‘So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble 😈
Aubrey Plaza and writer/director Jeff Baena at the screening of Life After Beth Pic: Alberto E Rodriguez/WireImage
‘Excited to be reunited with the amazing @alisonbrie (who also co-wrote this one!) and @theofficialsuperstar @sordociego @lauren_weedman and so many more fun people in this. Preparati!!’
Plaza’s star has been on the rise since her breakout role in the hit comedy series Parks and Rec in 2009, and has gone on to apppear in the likes of The White Lotus, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, and most recently, the Disney+ hit Agatha All Along.
Aubrey Plaza and director Jeff Baena at The Little Hours premiere in 2017 Pic: George Pimentel/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival
Baena is survived by wife Aubrey, his mom Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, dad Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsister and stepbrother Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.
Deadline has reported that the family has shared they are ‘devastated’ over their loss and has asked for privacy at this difficult time.