Ugly Betty Stars Pay Tribute to Creator Silvio Horta After Shocking Death at 45

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The stars of ABC’s “Ugly Betty” were left stunned with the sudden death of its creator, Silvio Horta, at age 45. His agent confirmed his death to TheWrap, though he declined to elaborate on a cause of death (there are unsubstantiated reports circulating that it was a suicide).

Horta was reportedly found deceased in his hotel room in Miami on Tuesday. According to Variety’s sources — the outlet was the first to break the news of his death — Horta died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. As with TheWrap, Horta’s representatives declined to confirm the cause of death.

“I’m stunned and heartbroken to hear the devastating news of Ugly Betty creator, Silvio Horta’s death.” America Ferrara was first to speak out after his death, writing to Instagram, captioning a pic of Horta and the show’s cast at the 2007 Golden Globes celebrating their Best Comedy Series win.

“I’m thinking of his family and loved ones who must be in so much pain right now,” she wrote. “And of the whole Ugly Betty family who feel this loss so deeply.”

Ferrara starred as the titular Betty across four seasons on ABC. While the show launched with tremendous buzz, becoming a water-cooler staple in 2006 thanks to its telenovela format and the charm of its writing and cast, ratings began to decline in its third season and it would wind down for good just a year later.

Usually more associated with science-fiction and genre screenwriting (Horta created both “The Chronicle” and “Jake 2.0” in the early 2000s), he found his greatest success with “Ugly Betty,” itself an adaptation of a hit Colombian telenovela.

In October 2018, Deadline reported that Horta sold a one-hour dance drama called “Move” to Fox, which he co-created with Mary J. Blige. The series was inspired by the life of choreographer Laurieann Gibson, and it promised all the over-the-top dramatics that made “Betty” such a breakout hit.

As news of his passing began to spread on Tuesday evening, those who’d worked with him and those who’d simply loved his work came forward with their condolences to his family, his friends and his fans.

“Still in shock after hearing the tragic news of our #uglybetty creator #silviohorta,” Vanessa Williams captioned a picture of herself with Horta. “His creativity and passion will be missed by so many of us that worked with him.”

You can check out her comments in full, along with more reactions to his tragic death below:

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