Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was found dead in her New York apartment on Wednesday, American news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.
Authorities responded to a 911 call shortly after 8am at a 51-story luxury apartment tower in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood. Upon arrival, officers discovered Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive”, the NYPD said in a statement to AP.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, and police have indicated that no foul play is suspected. The New York Medical Examiner is currently investigating the cause of death. ABC News reported that the actress had recently undergone a liver transplant and may have been experiencing complications.
Trachtenberg's family confirmed her passing in a statement to the American media. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss,” the statement read.
Gary Mantoosh, Trachtenberg’s representative, reiterated the family's request for privacy in a statement on Wednesday.
Following the announcement of her passing, tributes poured in from across the entertainment industry. US comedian Rosie O'Donnell, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in Harriet the Spy, called the news “heartbreaking”. In a statement to People magazine, she said, “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
Blake Lively, who worked with Trachtenberg in Gossip Girl, took to Instagram Stories to reminisce about the late actress. “This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%,” Lively wrote alongside a photo from the teen drama.
“She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself,” Lively added.
“And she always had yummy caramel smelling lipgloss on because she didn’t just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details,” she further wrote.
Actor Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl, honored his former co-star by posting a picture of her in character as Georgina Sparks on Instagram. “So sad to hear of the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg. Sending prayers,” he wrote.
David Boreanaz, her Buffy the Vampire Slayer castmate, also shared his condolences on Instagram. “So very sad. Horrible news,” he posted.
“Michelle was one of a kind. I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it. She was a force of nature and just so so unapologetically funny and magnetic.. remembering those years with a big smile. Just a terrible loss. Love you,” Chase Crawford, Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star, posted on Instagram.
Trachtenberg first rose to fame as a child actress, making her film debut in Harriet the Spy in 1996. She went on to star in several Nickelodeon productions and later secured prominent roles in films such as EuroTrip, 17 Again, and Ice Princess.
Trachtenberg’s final credited role was in 2023, reprising her role as Georgina Sparks in the Gossip Girl reboot on Max. Throughout her career, she received several acting nominations, including a Daytime Emmy nomination for her performance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Her last Instagram post, shared just days before her passing, featured a throwback image of her with the caption, “Wanting to look like naughty #tinkerbell.”
