Ugly Betty Creator Silvio Horta Dead at 45

[Note: this post discusses suicide. If you feel that you may be at risk of harming yourself, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).]

Silvio Horta, the creator of ABC's hit seriesUgly Betty, died by apparent suicide Tuesday, Varietyreports. Horta, a Miami-born writer, was found in a Miami motel room and succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound according to Variety's sources. He was 45.

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Horta served as showrunner and head writer of Ugly Betty, an American adaptation of a Colombian telenovela that starred America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams and ran for four seasons on ABC from 2006 to 2010. It won two Golden Globes -- one for best comedy series and a best actress trophy for Ferrera. Horta was a Miami native and attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts before coming to Los Angeles in 1996. He wrote a screenplay for the film Urban Legend that starred Jared Leto and grossed $60 million worldwide. He also wrote for the show The Chronicle and Jake 2.0 before Ugly Betty became an ABC hit.

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