Silvio Horta, creator of the ABC sitcom Ugly Betty, has been found dead in an apparent suicide. He was 45. Horta’s body was discovered in a Miami motel room on Tuesday.
Variety reports: “Sources tell Variety that Horta died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A representative for Horta confirmed his death, but declined to comment on the nature of it. The American version of ‘Ugly Betty,’ which starred America Ferrera, ran for four seasons on ABC from 2006 to 2010 and was adapted from the hit Colombian telenovela ‘Yo soy Betty, la fea.’ Horta served as showrunner and head writer on the comedy-drama.”
Added TVLine: “Horta also created the UPN sci-fi series Jake 2.0, starring future Ugly Betty cast member Christopher Gorham, and wrote for Sci-Fi’s The Chronicle. Plus, he wrote the screenplay for the 1998 horror film Urban Legend along with its 2000 sequel Urban Legend: Final Cut.”
Stars of Ugly Betty and Jake 2.0 posted tributes to Horta on social media:
If you are thinking about suicide or are feeling alone and need someone to talk to, please call the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 for immediate help. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7. Also, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. You can also text TALK to 741741 for free, anonymous, 24/7 crisis support in the US from the Crisis Text Line.
