Buffy and Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg dead at 39
26 February 2025, 17:45 | Updated: 26 February 2025, 21:40
Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in hit shows including Buffy and Gossip Girl, has died at the age of 39.
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Starring as Sarah Michelle Gellar's younger sister Dawn Summers in hit teen supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Trachtenberg appeared in the show from 2000-2003.
The actress' cause of death is not currently known according to police sources.
However, her death is not being investigated as suspicious, the force confirmed to the New York Post.
Over the course of her career, the US actress starred alongside a host of a-list names, including Zac Effron, Blake Lively and Penn Badgley.
Recent weeks had seen Trachtenberg had post a string of worrying photos, updating her 800,000 Instagram followers with images that showed the star looking increasingly gaunt.
It comes as a source told the New York Post that the actress had recently undergone a liver transplant.
Trachtenberg was discovered by her mother at around 8am local time on Wednesday at her luxury apartment complex in Manhattan’s Central Park South, according to the source.
A representative for Trachtenberg told the Press Association: "It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time."
Born in New York City on Oct. 11, 1985, Trachtenberg was a child star, first stepped into the spotlight at the age of three.
She made her acting debut on Nickelodeon television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, portraying the quirky Nona F. Mecklenberg.
Her first major mainstream TV role came in 1991, when she starred on hit US show Law & Order, followed by a string of prime-time series, including Buffy and Gossip Girl.
Recent social media photos prompted a number of fans to comment on her thin appearance, concerned about her sudden weight loss.
Last January, the star responded to comments from fans on her appearance.
She told followers she was “happy and healthy”, hitting out at speculation surrounding cosmetic procedures, insisting she had never undergone surgery.
Trachtenberg's last credits were as an executive producer and host of true-crime docuseries Meet, Marry, Murder in 2021.
This is a breaking news story.
