Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away in February, is reported to have died from complications that arose out of diabetes mellitus, confirmed the New York City medical examiner's office.
The 39-year-old actor, best known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, was found unconscious and unresponsive at her Manhattan apartment when police officials reached her place.
Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant before her death and priliminary investigations ruled out any criminal involvement. It has now been confirmed that she died of natural causes based on her toxicology report. Reportedly, officials did not perform an autopsy after her death following requests from her family who cited religious reasons.
The actor's sudden death sparked shock and grief among fans and fellow Hollywood actors who shared their condolences on social media. She first gained the spotlight for her role in The Adventures of Pete & Pete and went on to star in Nickelodeon’s first feature film, 1996’s Harriet the Spy alongside Rosie O’Donnell and J Smith-Cameron. As a child actor, Trachtenberg acted in commercials as early as three years old before starting her acting gigs on Nickelodeon.
Later, she starred in Inspector Gadget next to Matthew Broderick. However, her breakthrough role was playing Dawn Summers on the teen drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trachtenberg joined the popular show in its fifth season and remained on it through its seventh and final season, which ended in 2003.
Her other successful project was Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007 to 2012 where she played Georgina Sparks in the teen drama. She briefly reprised her role on HBO Max's Gossip Girl reboot in 2023.
Trachtenberg's other acting credits include EuroTrip (2004), directed by Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg and David Mandel, and Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin released during the same year. She also had a memorable role in Disney's Ice Princess (2005), directed by Tim Fywell.
The actor was last seen in 2014’s sci-fi thriller The Scribbler. She also has an unreleased project Spyral about mental illness.