Diego Borella, assistant director on Emily in Paris, passed away while filming the show in Venice.
Diego Borella, assistant director on Emily in Paris, passed away while filming the show in Venice, Italy. He was 47.
Borella collapsed on the astrological scene just as preparations were wrapping on the final shot at the iconic Hotel Danieli, news outlets La Repubblica, Il Messaggero, and Corriere della Sera reported. The tragedy struck just after 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 21, as the crew prepared to cue cameras.
Despite the quick presence of on-set medical teams, life-saving efforts were not successful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A Venice-based doctor, cited by La Repubblica, speculated the cause was a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Production for the fifth season of Emily in Paris was immediately paused on the studio’s order, confirmed Il Messaggero.
La Repubblica added that Diego Borella was a prominent figure in the Venetian film community. He trained in Rome, made tracks through London and New York, plus he dabbled in visual arts and focused on literature. His involvement in Emily in Paris drew him back to Italy, where he had been working for several weeks.
Just a few days ago—before the sad news of Diego Borella’s passing—Lily Collins shared some precious behind-the-scenes photos from the Venice filming of her new project. The pics went live on her account on August 19.
In the post, the 36-year-old actress is seen leaning on a pier that sparkles under the Venice sun. Another snap shows her on a small gondola-like boat with her co-star Ashley Park. “Joy ride to and from work with the best…” Collins wrote in her caption.
Ashley Park, 34, quickly jumped into the comments to reply: “Caption, chapeau, cherished memories game STRONG. You KNOW how much I love you. another adventure for the books 🥹”
Just three days before that, Collins had posted a set of shots with the same sunny vibe. This time she was filming from a boat and gazing wide-eyed at gondolas drifting by. The caption: “A very Venetian getaway. When work becomes play…”
