Diego Borella, a 47-year-old locally hired third assistant director on Emily in Paris season five, died after collapsing during filming preparations at Venice’s Hotel Danieli on August 21, 2025. Paramount Television Studios confirmed his death. A doctor reportedly considered a sudden heart attack probable, but the available reporting does not establish a confirmed cause of death.
What happened to Diego Borella?
Borella collapsed at about 7 p.m. local time while the crew was preparing a scene at the Hotel Danieli in Venice. The incident happened during preparations; reports do not establish that cameras were rolling. ABC News, citing local outlets, reported that medical personnel tried to revive him and that he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The Venice health service gave The Independent a more specific timeline: its ambulance arrived at 18.42, medics attempted resuscitation, and Borella was pronounced deceased at around 19.30. Those times are the health service’s account as quoted by the outlet, not an independently reviewed medical record.
Was the cause of death confirmed?
No confirmed cause is established in the reporting cited here. ANSA reported that a doctor who arrived at the scene considered a sudden heart attack probable. That was a provisional assessment, so it should not be presented as a medically confirmed cause.
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Who was Diego Borella?
Paramount Television Studios identified Borella as a member of the production, and the studio’s statement quoted by ABC News described the death as the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family. ABC reported that Borella, 47, was a locally hired third assistant director on season five—not the series director.
ANSA described Borella as Venetian and said he had trained in Rome, London, and New York. It also reported that he was active in visual arts and literature, including poetry and children’s stories. The cited coverage does not identify a published book title or provide further family details.
How did the production respond?
Filming was temporarily suspended after Borella’s death. ABC News reported that production resumed on August 23, 2025.
A Paramount Television Studios spokesperson, whose name was not given, told ABC News: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family. Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Did Emily in Paris pay tribute to Borella?
Yes. The season five finale included the end card “In memory of Diego Borella,” according to Us Weekly’s December 2025 report.
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Sources
- ANSA, August 22, 2025, on the incident, reported probable cause, and Borella’s background.
- Good Morning America / ABC News, August 23, 2025, on his role, the collapse, the studio statement, and the production pause and resumption.
- The Independent, August 23, 2025, quoting the Venice health service’s account of the emergency response.
- Us Weekly, December 24, 2025, on the finale’s memorial card.
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