Aubrey Plaza asks for 'privacy' after death of husband Jeff Baena

Aubrey Plaza and the family of her late husband Jeff Baena are asking for privacy as they navigate the aftermath of the filmmaker's death.

"This is an unimaginable tragedy," reads a statement to USA TODAY on behalf of Plaza and the Baena family. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."

The screenwriter and director died Friday at his home in California, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reviewed by USA TODAY. He was 47.

On Monday, Baena's cause of death was listed as a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office.

More: Filmmaker Jeff Baena's cause of death released

Baena was known for directing the movies "The Little Hours" and "Horse Girl" and co-writing David O. Russell's "I Heart Huckabees." His most recent film was 2022's "Spin Me Round," which starred Plaza and Alison Brie. Plaza also starred in "Life After Beth" and "The Little Hours."

Baena and Plaza had been married since 2020 and began dating in 2010. According to a GQ profile of Plaza published in 2022, they met "over a game of Balderdash."

Aubrey Plaza recently reminisced on her 'one-hour marriage' ceremony to Jeff Baena

During a December 2021 interview on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Plaza opened up about her impromptu nuptials with Baena, telling host Ellen DeGeneres that the two held a ceremony in their backyard while they were sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I just said, 'Hey, it's our 10-year anniversary. We should do something, get an ice cream cone, you know, do something special. And then I joked about getting married and he's like, 'Well, we probably couldn't get married that fast,'" Plaza said at the time.

She continued: "I said, 'Wouldn't it be nice to get married on our actual anniversary? And then I Googled it, and I found OneHourMarriage.com, and then I called around 5 p.m., and I said, 'Can you come in an hour and marry me in our yard?'"

'Golden Globes' winners pay tribute to Jeff Baena

Tributes for Baena and condolences for Plaza have been pouring in over the past few days. On Sunday, "The Brutalist" director Brady Corbet mentioned Plaza and Baena while accepting the award for best-director at the Golden Globes.

"Tonight, my heart is with Aubrey Plaza and Jeff's family," he said at the end of his remarks.

More: Globes 'Brutalist' winner sends love to Aubrey Plaza after husband Jeff Baena's death

Alison Brie, more celebrities honor Jeff Baena

Brie wrote on Instagram, "Rest in peace, my friend," while Molly Shannon, who appeared in most of the films Baena directed, shared a series of photos of herself with the filmmaker along with a broken heart emoji.

Adam Pally also wrote in an Instagram story, "My heart breaks for my friend Aubrey and the Baena family and for all of us who spent time on his sets or at his house or in his orbit."

Other stars left supportive comments for Plaza on Instagram.

"No words can touch this painful time," Selma Blair wrote on the actress' most recent Instagram post. "Only love and strength and support from everyone. I am so sorry."

More: Jeff Baena, screenwriter and husband of Aubrey Plaza, dies at 47

Baena is survived by Plaza, mother Barbara Stern and stepfather Roger Stern, father Scott Baena and stepmother Michele Baena, brother Brad Baena and stepsiblings Bianca Gabay and Jed Fluxman.

Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time, day or night, or chat online.

This story has been updated.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Baena's death: Aubrey Plaza breaks silence on husband