Michelle Trachtenberg, the actor best known for film and television roles including Harriet the Spy, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has sadly passed away. She was 39.
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| Jemal Countess/Getty Images |
She was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment on Wednesday, February 26, according to the New York City police department. According to the
New York Post, which first reported the news, she had recently undergone a liver transplant. Trachtenberg’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but the NYPD said criminality was not suspected.
In a statement, NYPD said that officers responded to a 911 call just after 8 a.m. and Trachtenberg was pronounced dead by emergency medical workers, who also responded to the scene.
“It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” her publicist Gary Mantoosh said in a statement. “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”
Born in New York on October. 11, 1985, Trachtenberg began acting at a young age. She was 3 years old when she began appearing in commercials and soon after landed her first TV credit, as Nona F. Mecklenberg, the daughter of Iggy Pop's James "Pop" Mecklenberg character, on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which aired in the mid 1990s. By age 10, she scored her first starring film role in 1996’s Harriet the Spy, in which she played the eponymous aspiring sleuth opposite Rosie O’Donnell and J. Smith-Cameron. The movie served as Nickelodeon Movies' first feature film,
Trachtenberg went on to play Dawn Summers on the teen drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ran on the WB in the early aughts. Trachtenberg joined the popular show in its fifth season as the younger sister of Sarah Michelle Geller’s Buffy Summers and remained on the series through its seventh and final season in 2003.
She found further success on another teen drama, portraying the agent of chaos known as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl, which ran from 2007 to 2012. Trachtenberg’s character, a diabolical Manhattan socialite, regularly found herself feuding, or blackmailing, with Blake Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen and Leighton Meester’s Blair Waldorf. She briefly reprised her role on HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot in 2022.
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| Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O'Donnell in 'Harriet the Spy' (1996). Photo: Getty |
Trachtenberg has a long list of genre-spanning credits on the big and small screen. Her film roles include 2004’s Eurotrip, the raunchy teen comedy that popularized the fictional song “Scotty Doesn’t Know,” and 2005’s Ice Princess, a comparatively wholesome film about a nerdy high schooler with a passion for figure skating. She also starred in 2009’s 17 Again with Zac Efron and Matthew Perry as well as episodes of TV shows such as Clarissa Explains It All, Law & Order, All My Children, Six Feet Under and Weeds.
In 2021, Trachtenberg spoke out in support of her fellow Buffy actor Charisma Carpenter who alleged the series creator Joss Whedon subjected Carpenter to “inappropriate and cruel behavior on set.” Trachtenberg reposted a statement from Geller with the caption, “I am brave enough now as a 35-year-old woman to repost this. Because this must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behavior. Very. Not. Appropriate. There was a rule. Saying. He’s not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again.” Whedon has denied the allegations.
Update (4/17): Michelle Trachtenberg died a natural death from complications caused by diabetes, according to the New York City medical examiner's office.
The 39-year-old actress was found "unconscious and unresponsive" in her New York City apartment in February.
Officials did not perform a post-mortem examination, but said toxicology tests determined Trachtenberg's cause of death.
Trachtenberg's family, who are Orthodox Jews, had reportedly objected to an autopsy, citing religious reasons.
Because there was no sign of foul play, the medical examiner did not overrule the relatives' objection.
Following the news of Trachtenberg's death, the actor's Harriet the Spy costar, Rosie O'Donnell said in a statement that hearing what happened was "heartbreaking."
"I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped," she added.
Michelle's
The Adventures of Pete & Pete co-star Daniel Tamberelli (Little Pete) also paid tribute to the late actor on
Instagram.
Captioning a photo of their time on the Nickelodeon show, Danny said: "We grew up learning how to make people laugh together. More importantly, we learned to make each other laugh and pull pranks on everyone. We were doing improv when it was still called playing pretend to get laughs. She was a master of the clothespin game, tagging any and everyone she could. She once got upset when I got my 1st bass on set because I wouldn’t hang out during lunch. She hid the cable so I couldn’t play through the amp. I got the message. She was a bright light, firecracker and caring person who spent a lot of time and effort advocating for people who needed a louder voice. Michelle was someone to look up to in this business and to the general world at large. She will be missed. All my love, sympathy and compassion to Lana, Irene and the rest of her family and friends."
Another cast mate, J. Smith-Cameron spoke out in a statement on Feb. 26. "I played Mrs. Welch, Harriet’s mother in Harriet the Spy. Michelle had been on a Nickelodeon show called Adventures of Pete & Pete but this seemed to be her first lead film role. She was so excited," she recalled.
"Her natural ebullient nature was ratcheted up into giddiness as she tried to learn how to handle all that came with that. She was a very charming little girl," the actress continued. "Years later we found each other on social media and connected briefly. She was always very warm toward me. I feel very shocked and unsettled to hear of her passing."
Kenan Thompson also reflected on his bond with the fallen star. The
Saturday Night Live star paid tribute to his fellow Nickelodeon alum on
Instagram.
“Our first Nick movie star has departed us!!” Kenan captioned the touching post, which features a throwback video from the 1999 Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards. In the video, Michelle acts as a wrestling commentator during the All That star’s fight against the late Randy “Macho Man” Savage. “She was my friend and now she rests!! Check on your people!!!”
Kenan also shared a sweet photo of him posed with the late actor in the early days of their career. The two got their start on Nickelodeon in the late ‘90s,
The actor's
final Instagram post was seven days ago, where she shared a throwback of herself wanting to "look like naughty #tinkerbell."
Michelle's ex-boyfriend,
Animorphs alum Shawn Ashmore, whom she dated between 2004 and 2006, penned a tribute on
social media.
"Incredibly sad to hear about Michelle’s passing," he wrote. "She was an incredible person and I will always remember the years we spent together fondly. She was loving, quirky and would never pass up a law and order SVU marathon:)"
He added, "My condolences to her mother Lana and sister Irene! This is an incredible loss!"
Smith-Cameron, her co-star on Harriet the Spy, once described a preteen Trachtenberg as “this very appealing, bubbly, very beautiful child star from Nickelodeon.”
“It was like everything was taking off for her. But she was sweet about it,” Smith-Cameron told
Vulture in a 2021 interview about filming the kid-friendly movie. “I just remember her taking it very seriously. A true professional.”
with Michelle leaving a memorable impression on two of the network’s original projects: 1993’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete and 1996’s Harriet the Spy. Michelle later branched out to other shows in the early 2000s, snagging titular roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Following the tragic news of Michelle's untimely passing, many of the people she had worked with over the years paid tribute to the late actor:
"Michelle was one of a kind," said fellow Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford. "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.. remembering those years with a big smile. Just a terrible loss. Love you."
"My heart is heavy today,"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor James Marsters
wrote on Instagram. "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."
James continued, "My heart goes out to her family who are good people, and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear. I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed."
Sex and the City alum Kim Cattrall
wrote of her
Ice Princess costar, "Rest in peace sweet Michelle."
"I'm so sorry your bright light died so young," Emma Caulfield wrote of her former costar. "Our Buffy family lost a little sister today... Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved."
"I'm heartbroken to hear of the passing of @michelletrachtenberg," Nickelodeon alum Melissa Joan Hart
wrote on Instagram, alognside a throwback clip from
Clarissa Explains It All. "So young, so talented and so sweet! Here is a fun scene from when she was on #ClarissaExplainsItAll. I think this was about 1992 and the episode was an idea I had about babysitting a total nightmare. But Michelle was nothing like her character and even this young, we got along wonderfully. #gonetoosoon #RIP #GodBlesstheFunnyPeople".
Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Michelle Trachtenberg, Tribute
Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing,"
Gossip Girl creators and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage shared with
NBC News. "Michelle was so funny, kind, and talented. Her portrayal of Georgina Sparks was an iconic fan favorite, and grew from a one season villain to a beloved character who returned over the course of six seasons."
The pair continued, "She was a delight to have on set and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family.”
"Oh Michy…," Melissa Gilbert wrote on
Instagram in tribute to her A Holiday for Love costar. "And we lived so close to one another…..my heart aches for your family and all those who loved you so… @michelletrachtenberg #ripsweetgirl"
Ed Westwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Gossip Girl, Tributes
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
"So sad to hear of the passing of @michelletrachtenberg,"
Gossip Girl alum Ed Westick wrote on his Feb. 25
Instagram Story. "Sending prayers."
He closed his message with the praying hands and white heart emojis.
"So very sad..." Michelle's
Buffy The Vampire Slayer costar David Boreanaz wrote on
social media of her passing. "Horrible News. RIP and prayers to her and her family."
Gossip Girl alum Kevin Zegers—who played Damien Dalgaard in the teen drama—described Michelle's passing a "loss."
"Michelle was tough and a force," he added in his
Instagram post. "Just a kid, so sad."
Angel alum J. August Richards offered his support to those closest to the actress, writing on
Instagram, "Just heard about the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg… So young… My heart goes out to her family and loved ones. What a beautiful spirit who left an amazing legacy… Rest In Peace, dear one…❤️🙏🏾."
Gossip Girl alum Blake Lively also joined in the ongoing tributes for her co-star Michelle Trachtenberg.
Lively posted a lengthy statement to her
Instagram Story in remembrance of the actor, who played Georgina Sparks alongside Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen on the late 2000s CW teen soap.
“This is the first day I met Michelle,” Lively captioned a still of them in Gossip Girl. “She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. 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.”
Lively’s statement continued, “Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday.”
R.I.P. Michelle Trachtenberg, October. 11, 1985 - February. 26, 2025.
Originally published: February 26, 2025 at 23:15 GMT.
