Emily in Paris paid tribute to the star at the end of the final episode of season five.
Emily in Paris season five has just arrived on Netflix and it sees Lily Collins return as Emily Cooper as she begins a new business venture in Rome. The new season welcomes some new faces, including Emmy-nominated star Minnie Driver. After the final episode of the season, the series pays tribute to one of the stars with a heartfelt title card, which reads ‘In memory of Diego Borella’. Diego Borella was an assistant director for the series, who died during filming in Venice back in August 2025.
La Repubblica reported the 47-year-old died after collapsing in front of colleagues as they were preparing to film a scene. Medics were called to Hotel Danieli but they were unable to save him. A spokesperson from Paramount Television Studios, who produce the show for Netflix, said at the time: “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.” Filming of the fifth season of Emily in Paris was reportedly suspended temporarily after his death. Borella was a locally hired, Italian third assistant director who had suffered “a sudden heart attack” according to local news reports.
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Borella was a well-respected writer and director, who also worked across Rome, London and New York and had focused on writing poetry, fairy tales and children’s stories. Borella’s long-time friend Mattia Berto paid tribute to him whilst speaking to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
He said: “The last time we saw each other was at a dinner in Paris with his best friend and mine. Diego had a great sense of humour, he was brilliant and very talented. His was a young interrupted life, so there are not many words. Just a great sadness.” According to his IMDb page, Borella had also worked as part of the production team for the series DOC – Nelle tue mani. He also had an Instagram page and fans of his work took to his latest post to offer their condolences to those closest to him.
Emily in Paris season five is a tale of two cities as Emily splits her time between Rome and Paris, with creator Darren Star explaining: “Straddling both, Emily takes love and life to the next level. From Parisian rooftops to Roman ruins, we can’t wait to share where Emily’s next chapter takes us.”
Lily Collins as Emily, Eugenio Franceschini as Marcello
The previous season saw Emily spark a romance with handsome Italian fashion icon Marcello (played by Eugenio Franceschini) and the pair moved into an Italian apartment so Emily could lead a Rome office for Agence Grateau. Star said the idea was to “stay ahead of the audience and take them to unexpected places,” and prove “the show has the ability to have a bigger footprint”. This season, Emily star Collins was keen to explore her character’s relationship with Marcello.
She shared: “Marcello is a whole other adventure that we want for Emily, because we ultimately want Emily to be able to have a better work-life balance. We want to have Emily be able to smile without condition. We want to see her beyond her vacay mode. And he comes at that perfect time.”
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Star echoed her views, saying: “I feel like they have a real spark and a real connection and a real romantic connection. A lot of that’s going to continue to play out next season.” Lucas Bravo also returns as Gabriel, Emily’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, and he continues to be involved in her life – but is he too late to win her heart following his epiphany in the final moments of season four?
“Unfortunately,” says Collins, “Gabriel has to deal with the repercussions of his choice.” Viewers will have to watch the new season to find out who Emily ultimately ends up with.
Emily in Paris season 5 is on Netflix
