Camila Marie Concepcion has died by suicide at the age of 28.
The writer and activist grew up in southern California’s Inland Empire and had most recently worked Netflix’s comedy-drama series Gentefied and zombie comedy Daybreak.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed in a statement released by her Gentefied colleagues.
The statement, reported by Variety, read:
We are heartbroken by the loss of Camila Concepcion.
She was hired as our writers’ assistant on Gentefied, but quickly made her way into our hearts as a sister, writer and friend.
She co-wrote episode 109 Protest Tacos, and we were so blown away by her amazing talent and unique voice.
She was definitely a force to be reckoned with and we are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our brightest stars.
Back in May last year, Camila shared a photo to her Instagram showing off her name at the Gentefield production meeting, with the caption: ‘Mama, I made it’.
Netflix also released a statement following her tragic death, which read:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Camila Concepción.
Camila was a talented writer with a passion for storytelling, lifting up underrepresented voices, and fighting for representation in front of and behind the camera.
She made bold and critical contributions to our industry, most recently through her incredible writing on Gentefied, and her legacy will live on through her work. Our thoughts are with her family and friends in this time of loss.
Not only was Camila an incredible writer, but she was also known for being a voice above the noise when it came to trans and Latinx representation.
The former Yale University English literature student once spoke about these issues at the United States of Women Summit.
Gentefied co-creator Linda Yvette Chavez described her as ‘a brilliant light that struggled to shine in the midst of the darkness in this world’ and as someone who would ‘pop into my messages or into my office and say exactly what I needed to hear.’
Rest in peace, Camila.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.