The entertainment world was stunned Wednesday when actress Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead at age 39 in a Manhattan luxury apartment. Her mother made the devastating discovery around 8 a.m. on February 26, as confirmed by Parade.
While authorities aren’t treating the death as suspicious, sources indicate Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant. No official cause of death has been released.
Trachtenberg built an impressive career spanning both film and television. She captured audiences in movies like “Harriet the Spy,” “17 Again,” “EuroTrip,” and “Ice Princess,” while making memorable television appearances in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gossip Girl,” and other popular series.
Her “Gossip Girl” co-star Blake Lively shared a particularly moving tribute, posting a photo from “the first day I met Michelle” on Instagram Stories. “She was electricity,” Lively wrote. “You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.” Lively described Trachtenberg as “fiercely loyal” and someone who “cared about the sweet details,” noting her signature caramel-scented lip gloss.
Lively concluded with a poignant reminder about life’s unpredictability: “Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend… Hold those you love and have loved dear. The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle.”
Fellow “Gossip Girl” actor Ed Westwick also expressed his grief, sharing a photo with the caption,
“SO SAD TO HEAR OF THE PASSING OF @MICHELLETRACHTENBERG. SENDING PRAYERS🙏🏻🤍.”
Rosie O’Donnell, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in “Harriet the Spy” (1996), offered a candid statement to People and Us Weekly:
“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” cast shared their collective heartbreak through individual tributes. David Boreanaz called it “horrible news,” while James Marsters wrote, “Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person.” Alyson Hannigan posted several photos from their time on “Buffy,” remembering how Trachtenberg “brought a loving energy to the set.”
Other tributes came from Kim Cattrall, her “Ice Princess” co-star, who simply wrote, “Rest in peace sweet Michelle 💔,” and Kenan Thompson, who shared a throwback Nickelodeon video, noting, “Our first Nick movie star has departed us!! She was my friend and now she rests!!”
Melissa Gilbert also mourned Trachtenberg’s passing with a screenshot from their 1996 film “A Holiday for Love,” writing, “Oh Michy…my heart aches for your family and all those who loved you so.”
As Hollywood continues to process this shocking loss, these tributes reflect the lasting impact Trachtenberg made both on screen and in the lives of those who knew her.
