Diego Borella, a 47-year-old assistant director working on the fifth season of Netflix’s “Emily in Paris,” died suddenly on August 21, 2025, after collapsing during filming at the historic Hotel Danieli in Venice, Italy. The incident occurred around 7:00 p.m. local time as the crew was preparing to shoot the final scenes of the upcoming season
Medical personnel on set immediately attempted to resuscitate Borella using a defibrillator, and an emergency doctor arrived shortly thereafter. However, all efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 p.m. According to La Repubblica, Borella likely died from a sudden heart attack.
The Venice health service confirmed the timeline of events, stating that their ambulance arrived at 6:42 p.m. and that medics made attempts to resuscitate him before he was pronounced deceased around 7:30 p.m. Paramount Television Studios confirmed the death in an official statement, expressing that they were “deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family.”
Borella was a locally hired third assistant director who had extensive experience in the entertainment industry. Born in Venice in 1978, he had trained professionally in Rome, London and New York. His previous credits included work on the Italian medical drama “DOC – Nelle tue mani” in 2022. Beyond his film career, Borella was also an accomplished writer who had recently dedicated himself to poetry, fairy tales and children’s stories. In 2023, he published a collection of poetry titled “5. 7. 5. – Haiku for a Year.”
Filming for the fifth season of “Emily in Paris” was temporarily suspended following the incident but resumed on Saturday, August 23. Production had begun in Venice on August 15 and was originally scheduled to conclude on Monday, August 26. The show had previously filmed in Rome beginning in May, then returned to Paris in June before moving to Venice for the final scenes.
Lily Collins, who stars as Emily Cooper in the Netflix series, was photographed back on set just two days after Borella’s death. She appeared alongside co-stars Eugenio Franceschini, Ashley Park and Paul Forman as filming resumed on a boat in Venice. Collins wore a beaded gown, pink gloves and a hat during the shoot.
The City of Venice expressed condolences through Tourism Councillor Simone Venturin, who indicated that they were sorry to learn the sad news and extended sympathy to colleagues and family. Longtime friend Mattia Berto described Borella as having a great sense of humor and being brilliant and very talented, characterizing his death as a young life cut short.
The fifth season of “Emily in Paris” is set to premiere on Netflix on December 18, 2025. The upcoming season will see Emily Cooper, played by Collins, taking on the role of head of Agence Grateau Rome as she faces new professional and romantic challenges while adapting to life in Italy. The season synopsis indicates that Emily will encounter work setbacks and heartbreak before ultimately emerging with deeper connections and renewed clarity.
Creator Darren Star described the new season as “a Tale of Two Cities” featuring both Rome and Paris, with Emily taking love and life to the next level while straddling both locations. The show, which premiered in 2020, follows the romantic adventures of American marketing professional Emily Cooper after she accepts a position with a French advertising agency.
The production is handled by MTV Entertainment Studios, Darren Star Productions and Jax Media. Collins serves as both star and producer, while Star executive produces alongside Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, Andrew Fleming, Stephen Brown, Alison Brown, Robin Schiff, Grant Sloss and Joe Murphy.
The cast for season five includes Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, Lucien Laviscount, Eugenio Franceschini, Thalia Besson, Paul Forman, Arnaud Binard, Minnie Driver, Bryan Greenberg and Michèle Laroque.
