Emily in Paris made sure to pay tribute to late assistant director Diego Borella following his death in August on the set of the Netflix hit show’s fifth season.
Borella is honored in the credits of the Season 5 finale, which dropped Thursday, after the Italian crew member on the Lily Collins-led series collapsed while preparing for a final scene at Hotel Danieli in Venice.
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“It was such a tragic moment,” creator Darren Star told Deadline in an interview published Thursday about Season 5. “He was part of our Italian crew in Venice, but we’re all a family, and we really wanted to honor him, to dedicate the last episode to him.”
Italian news outlet La Repubblica reported in August that Borella had collapsed during filming and was ultimately pronounced dead around 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 after unsuccessful attempts by emergency service workers to revive him. A local doctor at the time was quoted as saying he believed Borella had died of a “sudden heart attack.”
Production on Season 5 of Emily in Paris was paused following Borella’s death.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the sudden passing of a member of the Emily in Paris production family,” a Paramount Television Studios spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement at the time. “Our hearts go out to the individual’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
In addition to Emily in Paris, Borella had also worked on the medical drama DOC – Nelle tue mani (DOC – In Your Hands) in 2022, according to IMDb.
Season 5 of Emily in Paris is streaming now on Netflix.
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