Logo

Diego Borella, an assistant director on the Netflix show “Emily in Paris,” has died.

The series was shooting in Venice at the Hotel Danieli when Borella, 47, reportedly collapsed in front of the crew.

Per La Repubblica, medics were unable to save him after showing up around 7 p.m. Thursday. The outlet states Borella reportedly suffered a heart attack.


  “Emily in Paris” assistant director Diego Borella. Instagram/diego__Borella “Emily in Paris” assistant director Diego Borella. Instagram/diego__Borella

At the time, the show was shooting the final scene of Season 5.

Production on the last episode has been stopped. Originally, the shoot was set to wrap Aug. 25.

Borella was reportedly on schedule to shoot the final scene before he collapsed.

The Post has reached out to Netflix for comment.


  Borella on Instagram. Instagram/diego_borella Borella on Instagram. Instagram/diego_borella

The Venice health service said, per the Independent, “Our ambulance arrived at 6:42 p.m. Medics made attempts to resuscitate him. But in the end all efforts proved fruitless. At around 7:30 p.m., he was pronounced deceased.”

Borella was born in Italy and worked in Rome, London and New York throughout his career.

Days before Borella’s death, Lily Collins, who stars as Emily Cooper, shared some behind-the-scenes shots from filming.

“Joy ride to and from work with the best…,” she captioned the pictures that included an image of her co-star Ashley Park.


  Lily Collins on set of Season 5 of “Emily in Paris.” REUTERS Lily Collins on set of Season 5 of “Emily in Paris.” REUTERS

All 10 episodes of Season 5 are set to debut on Netflix Dec. 18.

The fan-favorite series, created by Darren Star, follows Emily, an American marketing executive navigating her life in Paris.

However, new episodes will see the fashionista relocate from the French capital to Italy. The fifth season will be set in Rome and Venice.

The series first ventured into Rome during Season 4.

“It was so great to go from Paris to Rome because you’re still in Europe and you’re still feeling that romance and passion of Europe, but you’re getting to experience a different part of history which was really fun,” Collins, 36, told the Hollywood Reporter at last year’s premiere.


  Collins on-set during the production of Season 5. REUTERS Collins on-set during the production of Season 5. REUTERS

The show also stars Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, Lucien Laviscount, Minnie Driver, Eugenio Franceschini, Thalia Besson, Arnaud Binard, Paul Forman, Bryan Greenberg and Michèle Laroque.

In October, Bravo, 37, hinted at being done with “Emily in Paris.”


  Collins is seen filming on the set of “Emily In Paris” in Venice, Italy. GC Images Collins is seen filming on the set of “Emily In Paris” in Venice, Italy. GC Images

According to the Times, the actor said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, that he was feeling finished with the show because “Life is short. It takes five months to shoot this series. Do I want to sacrifice them by telling something that does not stimulate me?”

Bravo also told the Hollywood Reporter that he was hoping his character, Gabriel, would see some growth in Season 5.


  Collins in Venice filming “Emily in Paris.” SirioPx / SplashNews.com Collins in Venice filming “Emily in Paris.” SirioPx / SplashNews.com

“He made a few choices that made me kind of grow away from him,” admitted Bravo. “We were very much alike in Season 1, but now, I don’t really know. I think I feel like he needs to get his s–t together.”

But the “Ticket to Paradise” alum isn’t the first person to criticize the storylines on the show.

In 2021, Brooklyn sports writer Greg Wyshynski told The Post, “Remember that scene in ‘Goodfellas’ where they slice the garlic with the razor so it just melts away in the pasta sauce? That’s how thin the characters, plots and stakes are for this television program.” 


  Collins walks on set. Mirco Toniolo/AGF/Shutterstock Collins walks on set. Mirco Toniolo/AGF/Shutterstock

Jenny Marston, a London bloggeralso told The Post, “It’s definitely quite problematic in parts, hugely stereotyped and highly unrealistic. Particularly in the way that Emily’s Internet fame took off almost literally overnight! All of these things are enough to make you inwardly cringe but because it was such a quirky, fun and light-hearted watch, that’s what kept people tuning in.” 

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy