A-list actress Aubrey Plaza and her late husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, were separated months prior to his death, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday (March 19).

Plaza, 40, and Baena, 47, were reported to have separated in September 2024, one month prior to Baena having allegedly made "concerning remarks" to Plaza, which "prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on her husband," the report states. The filmmaker reportedly began therapy in October 2024 and the documents explained how he had been "experiencing recent marital difficulties" with Plaza.

Baena, who directed and wrote the film Life After Beth and the comedy-drama The Little Hours, as well as receiving a writing credit I Heart Huckabees and creating the television series Cinema Toast, died by suicide at his Los Angeles home on January 3, TMZ reported at the time. The 47-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders arrived for a death investigation at around 10:30 a.m.

Plaza, who rose to fame playing the role of April Ludgate on the television sitcom Parks and Recreation, began dating Baena privately in 2011, having never officially announced an engagement or wedding before referring to him as her "darling husband" in 2021 in the caption of a post shared on her Instagram account, which she deleted after her husband's death.

"So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to italia to cause some more trouble 😈 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 wrote at the time.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Mark Robertson