Celebrity
Gossip Girl Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dies At 39
The New York City Medical Examiner confirmed her cause of death two months after her death.
Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in popular 2000s shows like Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 39, as confirmed by the star’s representative. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” they wrote in a statement to BBC. “The family requests privacy for their loss.”
Page Six first broke the news, stating that police are not investigating the death as suspicious. ABC News later confirmed with police sources that she was found dead in her apartment near New York’s Columbus Circle neighborhood. Trachtenberg’s mother found her just after 8 a.m. ET.
An autopsy was completed on April 16, with Trachtenberg’s cause of death being determined as “complications of diabetes mellitus,” as the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to NBC News. Her manner of death was ruled as natural. Sources previously reported that she recently underwent a liver procedure and may have been experiencing health issues.
Trachtenberg last posted on Instagram on Feb. 19, a week before her death, sharing a throwback red carpet photo and explaining the inspiration for her look. She shared a current selfie on Feb. 12, writing, “Eye of the Tiger.”
Michelle’s Legacy
Trachtenberg rose to fame as a child star in the late ’90s, starring on many Nickelodeon shows like The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and playing the titular role in their 1996 movie Harriet the Spy. “I was 10 years old, this was my first movie, and my dream come true,” she wrote on the film’s 10th anniversary in 2016. “I will always be honored to have been the girl who brought #harriet to life.”
She landed her breakthrough role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn Summers, from Season 5 until the show concluded in 2003. She went on to appear in coming-of-age films like Ice Princess and 17 Again, and had iconic turns on shows like Gossip Girl, where she played the villainous yet beloved Georgina Sparks.
Trachtenberg was last seen onscreen in 2023 during Season 2 of Max’s short-lived Gossip Girl reboot, where she was one of the few original actors to reprise her role from the original series.
This story will be updated as more details are confirmed.
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