Picture Credit: Paul Archuleta
Michelle Trachtenberg, widely recognized for her roles in ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, has passed away at the age of 39.
The New York City Police Department reported that she was discovered unconscious and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment on Wednesday, as per Variety.
According to the New York Post, Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant.
While the official cause of death has yet to be determined, the NYPD stated that there is no suspicion of foul play.
In an official statement, the NYPD confirmed that officers responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 AM.
Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced her deceased at the scene.
Her publicist, Gary Mantoosh, released a statement stating, “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.”
Born in New York in 1985, Trachtenberg started her acting career early, appearing in commercials at the age of three.
She soon secured her first television role in ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’, a Nickelodeon series from the mid-1990s.
By age 10, she landed her first lead role in the 1996 film ‘Harriet the Spy’, portraying the inquisitive young detective alongside Rosie O’Donnell and J Smith-Cameron.
Her career took off after she landed the role of Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Introduced in the show’s fifth season as Buffy Summers’ younger sister, she remained a central character until the series ended in 2003.
Trachtenberg later gained further recognition for playing Georgina Sparks in ‘Gossip Girl’.
From 2007 to 2012, she portrayed the cunning and manipulative Manhattan socialite who frequently clashed with characters played by Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. She briefly reprised the role in the 2022 reboot.
Her filmography includes ‘Eurotrip’ (2004), the teen comedy that popularized the song ‘Scotty Doesn’t Know’, as well as ‘Ice Princess’ (2005), where she played a science-loving figure skater.
She also starred in ’17 Again’ (2009) alongside Zac Efron and Matthew Perry.
In addition to her film roles, Trachtenberg made guest appearances in various television series, including ‘Law & Order’, ‘Clarissa Explains It All’, ‘All My Children’, ‘Six Feet Under’, and ‘Weeds’.
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