The assistant director of the hit Netflix series “Emily in Paris” has died suddenly while filming the show’s fifth season in Venice, Italy.
Italian outlet La Repubblica identified the man as 47-year-old Diego Borella.
Borella reportedly dropped dead on the set of the hit show in front of horrified colleagues at the Hotel Danieli on Thursday evening.
The incident happened while the production team was preparing to shoot a scene.
Paramedics and on-set medical staff attempted to revive him.
However, Borella reportedly died almost immediately, and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
He was pronounced dead at the scene around 7:30 p.m. local time.
Initial reports suggest Borella suffered a sudden heart attack.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family,” Paramount Television Studios, which produces the series for Netflix, told the BBC.
“Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Filming of the series has reportedly been suspended temporarily following Borella’s death.
Borella was a Venice native born in 1978.
He was an accomplished director and writer who trained internationally in Rome, London, and New York.
According to his social media, he had published fairy tales, haikus, and plays in addition to his work in television and film.
Close friend Mattia Berto remembered Borella as “a handsome, elegant boy with a lot of style.”
The friend told El Mundo:
“Diego had a great sense of humor, was brilliant, and very talented.
“His is a young life cut short, so there aren’t many words.
“Just great sadness.”
Production on Season 5 of Emily in Paris began in Venice on August 15 and was scheduled to wrap on August 19.
The new season is set to premiere on Netflix on December 18.
Much of the storyline is reportedly shifting from Paris to Rome.
The series, which stars Lily Collins as Emily Cooper, follows the adventures of an American social media strategist navigating her career and relationships in Europe.
Collins posted photos over the weekend from filming in Venice.
She shared images on Instagram of herself riding the city’s famous water taxis with the caption:
“A very Venetian getaway.
“When work becomes play.”
The images appear to have been shared shortly before tragedy struck.
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