Michelle Trachtenberg Remembered by Co-Stars: 'Gossip Girl' & 'Buffy' Star Dies at Age 39

Michelle Trachtenberg, the actor whose notable projects like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl, Ice Princess, and Harriet the Spy defined both the childhood and teenage years of millennial audiences, has died at the age of 39, multiple sources report. No cause of death has been determined, though police do not suspect it was criminal. The New York Post reports that Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant. She responded to fan concerns about her appearance on Instagram last year, saying she was “happy and healthy.”

Born in New York City in 1985, Trachtenberg began acting in commercials at just three years old and made her TV debut on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete by the time she was nine. She kept working throughout her childhood, appearing in several series (including the soap All My Children), and landed her first film role with 1996’s Harriet the Spy alongside Rosie O’Donnell.

By her early twenties, Trachtenberg was a pop culture staple, appearing in 2004’s EuroTrip, Weeds, Six Feet Under, and as Georgina Sparks on the CW’s original Gossip Girl, from 2007-2012. She also starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for three years, playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the titular Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). She has recently reprised her role as Georgina on Max’s Gossip Girl reboot.

Friends and former costars of Trachtenberg shared their remembrances.

In a statement to Us Weekly, O’Donnell called the news “heartbreaking,” adding, "I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar shared a series of photos of the two, along with a caption referencing a quote from the Buffy season five finale, in which her character addressed Trachtenberg’s: “Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you”

Blake Lively shared a photo from the day she met Trachtenberg on the set of Gossip Girl, writing, “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%...Hold those you love and have loved dear.”

Fellow ’90s child star Mara Wilson shared a photo of Trachtenberg on her Instagram stories, writing, "My heart is breaking for my childhood friend. Your memory will be a blessing, Michelle."

Kim Cattrall, who starred in the 2005 Disney movie Ice Princess with Trachtenberg, shared a photo of the pair on set on Instagram, writing, “Rest in peace sweet Michelle.”

Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star Chace Crawford penned a tribute on Instagram, writing, “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.”

On Instagram, SNL’s Kenan Thompson shared a clip of Trachtenberg from Nickelodeon and a photo of the two, writing, “Our first Nick movie star has departed us!! She was my friend and now she rests!!