CHILD actress Michelle Trachtenberg who rocketed to fame for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer has died at age 39.
Trachtenberg’s body was found in her New York City apartment by her mom on Wednesday, just days after she posted selfies that left fans concerned for her health.
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The actress was found at around 8 am at a building in Manhattan, New York City, located near Central Park, by her mother, police sources told ABC News.
Photos from Trachtenberg’s luxury Manhattan high-rise show two forensic vehicles and a government van parked outside.
Her cause of death hasn’t been confirmed, but cops don’t believe it was suspicious, sources said.
Sources close to the actress have claimed that she could have died from natural causes following a recent liver transplant, ABC affiliate KFSN reported.
According to the insider, she may have suffered fatal side effects from the invasive surgery.
Trachtenberg’s final outing was last Thursday night, when she went to Italian restaurant Sartiano’s in New York City with friends, sources told TMZ.
A rep for the actress confirmed her death but didn’t share any more details.
Although Trachtenberg hasn’t been as active on screen, she always kept fans up to date on social media with regular Instagram posts.
Last week, Trachtenberg shared a throwback look of her’s from an awards show with the caption, “I wanted to look like naughty.”
But recent pictures of the actress have sparked concern among fans, as they regularly commented to make sure she was OK.
Just days before her reported death, she snapped a selfie and added the caption “the warmth before the storm.”
Fans quickly flooded her comments with concern, saying, “As long as it isn’t a heavy storm.”
“Why do you look so different now,” wrote one follower as another said, “What happened?”
“You are not wearing black […] are you OK?” a different fan said.
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Michelle Trachtenberg’s career
Michelle Trachtenberg began her career as a child actress, starring in over 62 movies and TV shows before her sudden death at age 39.
Notable roles throughout her career include:
- 1994: Nona Mecklenberg in The Adventures of Pete & Pete
- 1996: Harriet in Harriet the Spy
- 1997: Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- 1999: Penny Brown in Inspector Gadget
- 2001: Hosted and narrated Truth or Scare
- 2004: Jenny in Euro Trip
- 2005: Casey Carlyle in Ice Princess
- 2006: Melissa in Black Christmas
- 2007: Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl
- 2009: Maggie in 17 Again
- 2015: Megan Phillips in The Christmas Gift
- 2022-2023: Georgina Sparks in the Gossip Girl reboot
The star also made cameo appearances in major TV shows:
- 2006: Lisa Tyler in Law and Order: Criminal Intent
- 2006: Melinda Bardach in House
- 2013: Lily Lockhart in NCIS: Los Angeles
- 2013: Diane Turner in Criminal Minds
ACTORS’ HEARTBREAK
Friends and former costars have shared their heartbreak after hearing the news of Trachtenberg’s sudden death.
Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl, shared a picture of the gone-too-soon actress during her days on the show and said he was “so sad.”
“Sending prayers,” he said in the tragic Instagram story.
Kim Cattrall, who starred in Ice Princess alongside the young actress in 2005, shared a picture of the two together on set.
“Rest in peace sweet Michelle,” Cattrall wrote on Instagram.
Rosie O’Donnell, who was in Harriet the Spy, said in a statement that Trachtenberg’s death is “heartbreaking,” according to People.
“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped,” she said.
David Boreanaz, who shared the screen with Trachtenberg in Buffy, also offered his condolences.
“So very sad […] horrible news,” he wrote on Instagram.
“RIP and prayers to her and her family.”
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Tributes to Michelle Trachtenberg
Friends and former co-stars of Trachtenberg’s were quick to post tributes on social media honoring the actress.
David Boreanaz, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, posted a photo of the actress on his Instagram story, commenting, “So very sad…horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family.”
Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star Ed Westwick posted a photo on his Instagram story of the actress when she played Georgina Sparks. He wrote, “So sad to hear of the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg. Sending prayers.”
Kim Cattrall, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in 2005 film Ice Princess, wrote, “Rest in peace sweet Michelle.”
Rosie O’Donnell, who acted with Trachtenberg in Harriet the Spy, also said the news was “heartbreaking.”
“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped,” she said, according to People.
James Marsters, another co-star on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, posted on Instagram to honor the late actress. “My heart is heavy today,” he wrote.
“We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person. She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her.”
Fellow Nickelodeon star Kenan Thompson posted a farewell message to the actress and reminded others to check in on their friends.
“Our first Nick movie star has departed us!! She was my friend and now she rests!! Check on your people!!!” he wrote.
Melissa Joan Hart, Trachtenberg’s Clarissa Explains it All co-star, said she was “heartbroken” over her death alongside a clip of the show.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of @michelletrachtenberg,” she said. “So young, so talented and so sweet!”
“I think this was about 1992 and the episode was an idea I had about babysitting a total nightmare. But Michelle was nothing like her character and even this young, we got along wonderfully.”
TRACHTENBERG’S FAMILY
Trachtenberg began her career as a child, starring in The Adventures of Pete and Pete before landing the lead role in popular kids movie Harriet the Spy.
Throughout her teen years, Trachtenberg continued to make recurring roles in TV shows, most notably in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where she played Buffy’s sister.
Though many fans remember her from the CW drama series Gossip Girl, where she starred as the character audiences loved to hate, Georgina Sparks.
Trachtenberg was never married but was last known to be dating her talent agent Jay Cohen, according to a 2020 report by Us Weekly.
It’s unclear if they were still together at the time of her death, but in 2023, Cohen shared a picture of her and called the actress his “valentine.”
The actress was born in New York City in 1985 to Jewish immigrant parents.
She told Radio Free in 2005 that her dad Michael had traveled to the US from Germany, and her mom, Lana, was from Russia.
Her mom and sister Irene lived in Tarzana, a suburb of Los Angeles, and her father lives in Brooklyn, New York.
In an interview with Collider in 2020, Trachtenberg discussed the struggles of working in the entertainment industry as a first-generation American.
“My mom wasn’t even familiar with how to go on auditions and push your daughter here,” she said.
“When I was a kid, my mom would have to beg me to go on playdates because I would want to go on auditions.”
In a now tragic comment, Trachtenberg said that she loved acting and knew that she wanted to continue for as long as possible.
“I love what I do. As long as I have that feeling, then I’m gonna stick to it,” she said.
“As long as I’m lucky enough to get projects and keep working, I will always be grateful for it.”
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