Was Roberto Orci married? Everything we know about Transformers and Star Trek Writer as he passes away

Roberto Orci passed away at 51 on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

Orci was legally married to Adele Heather Taylor. The couple separated in late 2022. In January 2023, Orci filed for a divorce, and over a year later, Taylor filed a lawsuit against him. In her lawsuit, Adele alleged that Roberto repeatedly assaulted her physically and s**ually, while also belittling her with remarks.

Roberto Orci, who had previously sued her in June 2024, denied the allegations. His spokesperson, Sallie Hofmeister, alleged that Taylor was the abuser in the relationship. In her statement, Hofmeister claimed that Taylor had shot Orci with a taser, hit him with a baseball bat, tried to strangle him, and was abusive in many other instances.

Per Variety, here’s an excerpt from Sallie Hofmeister’s statement,

“Ms. Taylor’s counterclaim is an attempt to retaliate against her husband with fabricated allegations after he got a restraining order against her, filed for divorce, and sued her in June for assault, battery, and financially abusing him when he was vulnerable and trying to get treatment for alcoholism.”

The statement further alleged that Taylor was apprehended or authorities were notified about her violent behavior during their relationship. Orci married Adele Heather Taylor in 2020. It was his second marriage, as the Star Trek co-writer was previously married to Melissa Blake. They finalized their divorce in 2020.

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Fans pay tributes after Roberto Orci dies from complications of kidney disease

The writer-producer was suffering from a kidney disease and died from its complications at his Los Angeles home, per reports from multiple outlets. After the news of his death broke out, many fans expressed their thoughts about Orci and sent their condolences.

A three-time BloodList screenwriter, Joe Russo, penned down on X,

“My first boss in Hollywood said the script for STAR TREK was the best he’d ever read — and he wasn’t kidding. Roberto Orci was a generational screenwriting talent and his death at only 51 is a tragic loss, because I’m sure there were more masterworks to come. // RIP to one of the greats.”

“Dude shaped many young fans childhoods including Mine and this honestly stings to see man 😔 Rest in peace Roberto Orci,” a user wrote.

“Jeez, I just saw the news about Roberto Orci. 51 is way too young to die. Whether you liked them or not Orci was involved in some huge film projects in his young life. R.I.P.,” another user added.

“We lost a great talent #robertoorci,” someone posted.

“Roberto Orci passed and it feels really weird // i wouldn't call myself a fan of his specifically but him and Kurtzman wrote one of the defining works of my childhood and (unfortunately) personality. // I wouldn't be what i am without TF 07,” another one wrote.

The famous screenwriter and producer impacted pop culture with his screenwriting on projects like Transformers, Star Trek, Xena: Warrior Princess, and more. Orci was a longtime collaborator of Alex Kurtzman. They co-wrote two Transformers films, two Star Trek movies, Mission: Impossible III, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and more.