Latest news with #JeffBaena
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Alum Posts Heartfelt Birthday Tribute for Late Colleague
Disney Alum Posts Heartfelt Birthday Tribute for Late Colleague originally appeared on Parade. A former Disney star shared a vulnerable tribute to a beloved colleague on his birthday, which came just months after his death. Debby Ryan, who starred in nearly 100 episodes of Disney's Jessie from 2011 to 2015, opened up about the loss of Jeff Baena, whom she had worked with on several projects. Baena, a film director and screenwriter who was married to actress Audrey Plaza, died by suicide in January. As E! News noted, Baena and Ryan worked together on the 2022 project Spin Me Round as well as the 2020 project Horse Girl. June 29 would have been Baena's 48th birthday. As a tribute to him, Ryan posted a handful of highlights on her Instagram page and wished him a happy birthday. In the caption, the Disney alum asked her followers to "Bear with me," as she's "never been a public griever, and have a hard time sharing fragile feelings with strangers." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Debby Ryan (@debbyryan) Despite her hesitations, Ryan went on to admit she had thought about Baena every day since his death. "At the beginning of the year, I lost a dear friend, cherished collaborator and mentor in Jeff Baena," Ryan shared. She noted that dealing with the loss of Baena has been "Very hard and heavy." Ryan pointed out that she's come to understand that grief isn't linear. As she navigates the stages of grief, she wrote that she hopes those stages shift to become "not a place to live." "Today on his birthday, I want you to know a few things about Jeff-- he was generous. Warm while principled. Intentional with a casual in debate," Ryan wrote. She also wrote that Baena believed in her, and "I feel really proud to be able to say that." Ryan added quite a bit more in an additional comment on her Instagram post. She wrote that Baena made her feel she was "worth believing in" and "deserving of respect." She touched on the struggles she has experienced in coming to terms with Baena's death over the past six months. Ryan admitted she was "trying to forgive my friend for taking my friend." Fans stepped up to lend their support to Ryan. "Grief comes in waves and I'm glad you have a space to feel those emotions whenever they do arise. Hugs Debby 🤍 thanks for sharing your grief with us, even for a moment," one comment read. "What a very sweet and well thought out post. I'm so sorry for your loss (and seems to be a big loss for many people) happy birthday Jeff, ❤️" wrote someone else. Another commenter shared, "I know you'll perpetuate his values, energy and ideas. he saw something in you, so keep showing the world what he saw." If you feel like your friend or loved one needs help please call the at 1-800-273-8255 for immediate help and to speak with someone who knows exactly what's going on. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Plus, they have online chats available and all information is confidential. You can also text 'HELLO' to 741741 to be connected with the Crisis Text Line. Disney Alum Posts Heartfelt Birthday Tribute for Late Colleague first appeared on Parade on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Perth Now
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Debby Ryan pays emotional tribute to 'dear friend' Jeff Baena six months after his death
Debby Ryan "lost a dear friend" in Jeff Baena when he took his own life. The 32-year-old actress worked with the late screenwriter on his films Horse Girl and Spin Me Round and took to social media on Sunday (30.06.25) - which would have been his 48th birthday - to pay a legnhty tribute to her friend. She wrote on Instagram: "Bear with me, I've never been a public griever, and have a hard time sharing fragile feelings with strangers. "Meanwhile I've thought about him every day for the past six months. Ok see at the beginning of the year, I lost a dear friend, cherished collaborator and mentor in Jeff Baena. It's been very hard and heavy, and a lot of people lost him, because he was like the nucleus of this whole Jeff universe. "I've discovered the stages of grief aren't linear; they're like space stations I've docked at, in between periods of floating. My hope is they eventually feel more like satellites— always orbiting, often in view, but not a place to live. "But today on his birthday, I want you to know a few things about Jeff— he was generous. Warm while principled. Intentional with a casual lilt. Usually right about stuff we have no way of knowing about. Spirited in debate. "His standard for quality was in the ingredients— just like his casts. He had a menagerie of players and games, and it was a real collection. " The former Disney Channel star thanked Jeff - who was married to Hollywood actress Aubrey Plaza from 2021 until his death - for "believing in" her throughout their time together, and hailed him as a "rare person" who became an "active person" in all aspects of her life. She added: "He believed in me. I feel really proud to be able to say that. Jeff was a rare person in the world who gave me the dignity of introducing myself, of being taken at my present. And I liked who he saw. Like good friendship helps you love yourself, good collaboration gives you the chance to be the best evolution of yourself. "From the moment we met, Jeff was an active person in my life- personally and professionally. He somehow saw me, trusted me, and vouched for me from jump. He brought me to my first film festival, after putting me in his and Alison Brie's film Horse "Girl, a film largely improvised based on an outline— which is a process he was accustomed to working but was a big leap for me. He never doubted me."
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Debby Ryan pays tribute to Aubrey Plaza's late husband Jeff Baena on his birthday
Debby Ryan poured her heart out in an emotional tribute to Aubrey Plaza 's late husband Jeff Baena on what would have been his 48th birthday. The screenwriter's body was discovered in early January after he committed suicide. Ryan, 32, used Instagram to remember her friend on Sunday, sharing a collection of photos and adding a lengthy, heartfelt caption that illustrated their close bond. The note began, 'Happy birthday Jeff ✨Bear with me, I've never been a public griever, and have a hard time sharing fragile feelings with strangers. Meanwhile I've thought about him every day for the past six months.' She added, 'At the beginning of the year, I lost a dear friend, cherished collaborator and mentor in Jeff Baena. It's been very hard and heavy, and a lot of people lost him, because he was like the nucleus of this whole Jeff universe.' Ryan's carousel post was filled with memorable images featuring celebrity friends including Fred Armisen, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayer, Matthew Gray Gubler, and her husband Josh Dun. In her caption, the actress added, 'Today on his birthday, I want you to know a few things about Jeff— he was generous. Warm while principled. Intentional with a casual lilt. Usually right about stuff we have no way of knowing about. Spirited in debate.' She appeared in two of Baena's projects, 2020's Horse Girl and 2022's Spin Me Round. Touching on their professional relationship, she said, 'He believed in me. I feel really proud to be able to say that. 'Jeff was a rare person in the world who gave me the dignity of introducing myself, of being taken at my present. And I liked who he saw. Like good friendship helps you love yourself, good collaboration gives you the chance to be the best evolution of yourself.' The sentimental note continued, 'From the moment we met, Jeff was an active person in my life- personally and professionally. He somehow saw me, trusted me, and vouched for me from jump. 'He brought me to my first film festival, after putting me in his and Alison Brie's film Horse Girl, a film largely improvised based on an outline— which is a process he was accustomed to working but was a big leap for me. He never doubted me.' The former Disney star also reflected on her non-linear journey of grief. The note began, 'Happy birthday Jeff ✨Bear with me, I've never been a public griever, and have a hard time sharing fragile feelings with strangers. Meanwhile I've thought about him every day for the past six months' She added, 'At the beginning of the year, I lost a dear friend, cherished collaborator and mentor in Jeff Baena. It's been very hard and heavy, and a lot of people lost him, because he was like the nucleus of this whole Jeff universe' 'Six months of trying to make sense of this, oscillating between heavy grief and clamoring for acceptance, trying to wade through for some better feelings — trying to adjust to past tense,' she continued her caption in the comments. 'Trying to absolve guilt for not being able to save my friend. Trying to forgive my friend for taking my friend.' Debby echoed the refrain: 'Six months of things happening that Jeff will never know about, that's so crazy. 'Six months of trying to accept the new impossibility of the things we were gonna make together. Months of discoveries of the things he left behind; and the gifts he continues to give me and those who he shone his light on. Thanks for all of it, Jeff. Love you dude. ✨ and happy birthday.' Plaza and Baena had been separated since September 2024, an LA County Medical Examiner's autopsy report obtained by revealed. She was living in New York when his body was discovered on January 3.
News18
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Aubrey Plaza Makes Red Carpet Return At Cannes 5 Months After Hubby Jeff Baena's Death
Last Updated: Aubrey Plaza returned to the spotlight at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for her film Honey Don't, marking her first major appearance since losing her husband, Jeff Baena. Aubrey Plaza returned to the spotlight on May 24 at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, where she walked the red carpet for her new film Honey Don't. She looked calm and elegant in a long dress, standing beside her co-stars. This was her first major public appearance since losing her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, a few months ago. The last time fans saw her at an event was during SNL's 50th anniversary, where she wore one of Jeff's tie-dye shirts as a quiet tribute to him. Before the 78th Cannes Film Festival came to a close, Aubrey Plaza walked the red carpet with her Honey Don't! co-stars Margaret Qualley and Charlie Day. This time, she skipped the dramatic fashion and kept things simple but striking. She wore a sleeveless nude gown with lace, colourful beads, and a sheer lower half, paired with a plain white bodysuit underneath. Her makeup was soft, with no extra hair accessories. te amo aubrey plaza te amo — ticia (@hahnxplaza) May 23, 2025 After the screening, Aubrey was seen chatting with guests and posing for photos, though she chose not to give a speech. Her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, died by suicide in January at 47, and this was Aubrey's first big red carpet since the loss. Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena were together for more than ten years, but in the months before his death, they had been separated for almost four months. After Baena's suicide, an investigation revealed he had been struggling emotionally and was in therapy. In October 2024, he sent some worrying texts and made a phone call to Aubrey, which led her to ask a friend to check on him. On January 3, a house helper found Baena unresponsive at his home near Los Angeles, where he was later pronounced dead. Aubrey spoke out on January 6, saying, 'This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support," and she asked for privacy during this difficult time. First Published:
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Aubrey Plaza makes red carpet return after private tragedy
Aubrey Plaza made her first return to the red carpet since her husband Jeff Baena's death at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of her upcoming film, Honey Don't! The actress was photographed on Friday wearing a gem-embellished, sleeveless, nude floor-length dress, as she posed with her co-stars Margaret Qualley and Charlie Day, and filmmakers Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke. Plaza's look also featured a matching corset underneath. The actress — who was seen with a big smile — went with a simple makeup look, sporting black eyeliner and a nude lip colour for the glamorous outing. Plaza, 40, made her first public appearance after losing her husband in February during the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special to introduce one of the evening's performances. The televised appearance came after the Agatha All Along star had been living a private life on social media. She deactivated her Instagram account in January as she privately grieved. In March, it was revealed that Plaza and Baena had been separated for four months prior to his unexpected death. A report released by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner revealed he 'had a phone conversation with his wife' just before he died. Plaza 'confirmed' the separation on January 3 when authorities spoke to her on the phone, the report added. Baena died by suicide on January 3. He was found unresponsive inside his Los Angeles-area home by an assistant, TMZ reported at the time. He was 47. 'This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support,' Plaza said in a joint statement with Baena's family. 'Please respect our privacy during this time.'
