Disney Alum Posts Heartfelt Birthday Tribute for Late Colleague

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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 lilt...Spirited 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."
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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.