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Following Baena’s death in January, Plaza—whose film Honey Don’t! debuts in theaters Friday, Aug. 22—spoke out for the first time to honor her frequent collaborator and husband of five years after his passing, noting it was “an unimaginable tragedy.”
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support,” a family statement obtained by E! News Jan. 6 read. “Please respect our privacy during this time.”
In the months that followed, several friends and loved ones have continued to honor Baena’s memory, including, most recently, Disney alumDebby Ryan, who shared a heartbreaking tribute reflecting on the bond she had with her mentor.
“I’ve discovered the stages of grief aren’t linear; they’re like space stations I’ve docked at, in between periods of floating,” Ryan wrote in a June Instagram post. “My hope is they eventually feel more like satellites—always orbiting, often in view, but not a place to live.”
“Six months of trying to accept the new impossibility of the things we were gonna make together,” she added. “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.”
Keep reading for a look back at Baena and Plaza’s relationship over the years…