Ugly Betty Creator Silvio Horta Has Died at 45

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.