Ugly Betty Creator Silvio Horta Has Died at 45

By Rebecca Fishbein  |  January 8, 2020 | 2:20am
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Ugly Betty Creator Silvio Horta Has Died at 45
Silvio Horta accepts an NAACP Image Award for his work on ‘Ugly Betty’ in 2007. Image: (via Getty)

Silvio Horta, who created the hit show Ugly Betty, has died, reportedly by suicide.

Variety reports that he was found dead on Tuesday in a Miami motel room, and that the cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 45.

In 2006, Horta adapted Ugly Betty for American audiences from Yo soy Betty, la fea, a Colombian telenovela. It ran from 2006 to 2010, and won a number of major awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Television Series—Comedy or Musical in 2006.

America Ferrera, won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her lead performance as Betty Suarez, a Mexican-American woman from Queens who gets a job at a fashion magazine. Horta also won ALMA and NAACP Image awards for his work on the show; he served as Ugly Betty’s head writer and executive producer throughout its run.

Ferrera posted a tribute to Horta on Instagram:

Horta’s other projects included the 1998 Jared Leto film Urban Legend and the 2003-2004 UPN drama series Jake 2.0.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

 
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