Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Michelle Trachtenberg passes away at 39

Actor Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has passed at the age of 39.

Police officials confirmed her death after they received a 911 call from a woman. Upon reaching the Manhattan apartment, Trachtenberg was found unconscious and unresponsive.

Although she had recently been undergoing a liver transplant, the exact cause of death has not been confirmed. NYPD has ruled out any criminal involvement, but officials are currently investigating the case.

Trachtenberg's publicist Gary Mantoosh said in a statement, "It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time."

Condolences have been pouring in for the star who 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 co-star James Masters, who played Spike, told People: "My heart is heavy today. 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."

David Boreanaz, who played Angel, shared on Instagram: "So very sad... horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family." Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow, also posted: “I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing. She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy.”

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 2022, as per the outlet. It Ends With Us star Blake Lively, who acted alongside her in the much popular series wrote a heartfelt note on her social media handles calling her "electricity" who would change the entire vibration of the room. "Everything she did, she did 200%. 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 … The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire."

Her other co-star Ed Westwick also expressed his sadness upon hearing the news of her death. "So sad to hear of the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg. Sending prayers."

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. Her co-star Kim Cattrall wrote, "Rest in peace sweet Michelle," on her Instagram handle. She was also part of 17 Again, a 2009 American teen fantasy comedy film directed by Burr Steers.

The actor was last seen in 2014’s sci-fi thriller The Scribbler. She also has an unreleased project Spyral about mental illness.