Emily in Paris Assistant Director Diego Borella passes away on set in Italy

Tragedy struck the set of

Emily in Paris

in Italy as assistant director

Diego Borella

, 47, reportedly passed away while working on the show’s fifth season. The sudden loss has left the film and television community reeling and has brought production to a halt.

Collapsed during final scene preparations

Reports from Italian outlets La Repubblica, Il Messaggero, and Corriere della Sera stated that Diego Borella collapsed around 7:00 pm on Friday, August 22, while preparing for a final scene at

Venice

’s

Hotel Danieli

. Despite efforts by medical staff on set to revive him, he was declared dead at the scene.According to La Repubblica, a local doctor suggested that Diego Borella most likely died of a sudden

heart attack

. Paramedics were called to the set, but despite their efforts, he could not be saved.

Emergency confirmed by Venice health service

The Venice health service later confirmed the emergency call, stating that an ambulance reached the location at 6:42 pm on Thursday. Medics tried to resuscitate Diego Borella, but despite their efforts, he was declared dead around 7:30 pm, The Independent reported.According to the outlet, filming was supposed to wrap up on Monday, August 25, with Diego Borella overseeing the final scene. However, production has been put on hold following the tragedy. The Emily in Paris team has not yet released an official statement on his passing.

Respected filmmaker and artist

Diego Borella was a respected Venetian filmmaker who trained in Rome, London, and New York. In addition to his work in cinema, he explored visual arts and literature, La Repubblica noted. In recent weeks, he had been in Italy working on the new season of Emily in Paris.Just days before his death, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins shared behind-the-scenes photos from the Italy shoot, highlighting the cast and crew’s excitement for the new season. She also revealed that the fifth season is set to premiere on December 18.