section_path: Personal life and death
section_name: Personal life and death
paragraph_text: Personal life and death
  
  Baena was renowned for the game nights he hosted, creating a social environment among filmmakers and friends that was reflected on his film sets. He met actress Aubrey Plaza during a game night in 2011, after which they began dating. Baena proposed to Plaza at a site related to the Basque witch trials in Zugarramurdi. They were married in 2021, to celebrate their tenth anniversary together, in a small ceremony in their backyard. They quietly separated in September 2024 after experiencing marital difficulties, with Plaza staying in New York. Baena began attending therapy in October after he made "concerning remarks" to Plaza, which prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on him.
  
  On January 3, 2025, Baena's body was discovered at his home in Los Angeles by his dog walker; he was last known to be alive at 10:36 a.m. EST that morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported the cause of death as suicide by hanging. Baena was 47. According to the medical examiner's report, Baena had no previous suicide attempts. The 82nd Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held on January 5, with Best Director winner Brady Corbet paying tribute to Baena at the end of his acceptance speech; Plaza had been set to present at the ceremony but pulled out. Baena's funeral took place on January 10, 2025, in Miami.
  
  Baena was renowned for the game nights he hosted, creating a social environment among filmmakers and friends that was reflected on his film sets. He met actress Aubrey Plaza during a game night in 2011, after which they began dating. Baena proposed to Plaza at a site related to the Basque witch trials in Zugarramurdi. They were married in 2021, to celebrate their tenth anniversary together, in a small ceremony in their backyard. They quietly separated in September 2024 after experiencing marital difficulties, with Plaza staying in New York. Baena began attending therapy in October after he made "concerning remarks" to Plaza, which prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on him.
  
  On January 3, 2025, Baena's body was discovered at his home in Los Angeles by his dog walker; he was last known to be alive at 10:36 a.m. EST that morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported the cause of death as suicide by hanging. Baena was 47. According to the medical examiner's report, Baena had no previous suicide attempts. The 82nd Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held on January 5, with Best Director winner Brady Corbet paying tribute to Baena at the end of his acceptance speech; Plaza had been set to present at the ceremony but pulled out. Baena's funeral took place on January 10, 2025, in Miami.