Aubrey Plaza has spoken out about the death of her husband Jeff Baena’s sudden death, describing the 'unimaginable tragedy' she is facing.
Baena, 47, was pronounced dead on Friday at a Los Angeles home near the Hollywood Hills and Los Feliz areas.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed that he had sadly taken his own life.
Plaza's reps told press in an initial statement that Baena's family were 'devastated' and called for privacy during this 'difficult time'.
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She had been set to attend the 82nd Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday, but ahead of the event it was confirmed that she would be absent.
During the event, tributes were paid to Baena, with director Brady Corbet mentioning him during his speech after winning best movie director for The Brutalist.
He ended by saying: "Finally, tonight my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff's family."
Plaza has now spoken out in a full statement, saying she is appreciative for all of the 'support' she has received.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy," the actor said in a statement issued to The Independent. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
The couple were notoriously private about their relationship, having first met in 2011 when she auditioned for his film Life After Beth.
They later married in private, with fans only realising they had tied the knot when Plaza referred to Baena as her 'husband' in a social media post.
"So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to Italia to cause some more trouble," she wrote, as followers went wild.
Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the White Lotus star revealed they'd been married at their home by an officiant from a website called 'OneHourMarriage.com' during the pandemic.
She said: "I can’t remember a lot of it, it was fuzzy. But I’m pretty sure it’s legal."
The pair also collaborated on a number of projects over the years, with Baena also a well-known name as a successful screenwriter and film director.
Talking about his career back in 2014, he told Seensome: "It’s all I ever want to do; it felt really comfortable and fun. I’ve been a writer for twelve years now and it was always a means to an end, I never wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a director so this was always my intention and it felt right."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Celebrity
Jess Hardiman