Emily in Paris assistant director Diego Borella dies while filming Netflix series

Tragedy struck while crew prepared to shoot season five’s final scene

Diego Borella, an assistant director working on Emily in Paris, has died while filming the new season.

Borella, 47, was shooting the Netflix comedy show in Venice when he is reported to have collapsed in front of the crew.

Local outlet La Repubblica said that medics were unable to save him after rushing to the Hotel Danieli around 7pm on Thursday (21 August). It is believed he suffered a heart attack

Production on the final episode of the forthcoming fifth season was halted but resumed filming on Saturday (23 August).

The shoot was expected to end on Monday (25 August).The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.

The Venice health service said: “Our ambulance arrived at 18.42 (on Thursday evening). Medics made attempts to resuscitate him. But in the end all efforts proved fruitless. At around 19.30, he was pronounced deceased.”

Borella, who was born in the Italian city, was a well-respected writer and director, who also worked in Rome, London and New York.

Italian outlets said he had recently focused on writing poetry, fairy tales and children's stories.

Diego Borella died after collapsing on the set of 'Emily in Paris' (Instagram)

Emily in Paris is set to be released on Netflix on18 December.

The show follows Lily Collins’s marketing executive Emily as she navigates her new life in the French capital – but new episodes will see her relocate to Italy with scenes set in both Venice and Rome.

A synopsis released this week for the new season reads: “Now the head of Agence Grateau Rome, Emily faces professional and romantic challenges as she adapts to life in a new city. But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.

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“Seeking stability, Emily leans into her French lifestyle, until a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships.”

‘Emily in Paris’ is returning in December (Netflix)

It’s unknown who has directed season five, but Andrew Fleming, Erin Ehrlich and Peter Lauer shot the majority of the show’s past four seasons.

Emily in Paris, created in 2020, is the latest show from Darren Star, the showrunner behind 1990s shows Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place and Sex and the City.