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Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles on beloved television series like Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has reportedly passed away. She was 39 years old.
According to a report from the New York Post, police sources stated that the Harriet the Spy alum had died after being found by her mother at a luxury apartment complex on Central Park South in New York City at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday (February 26). While her cause of death was not immediately known, she recently underwent a liver transplant. The sources said her death not being investigated as suspicious.
The actress sparked concern with fans last year who worried about her health after she shared photos on Instagram of her appearing frail, The Post reports. She responded to concerns about her appearance by stating that she was "happy and healthy" and that she was not a teenager anymore.
Born October 11, 1985, Trachtenberg first got her start in Hollywood as a child with small roles in Clarissa Explains It All and All My Children before landing the role as the young detective titular character in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy. As she got older, she found roles in hit teen dramas like Gossip Girl and Buffy while also starring in films like Ice Princess and 17 Again. Her most recent acting credit was in 2023, briefly reprising her Gossip Girl role as Georgina Sparks in the show's reboot.
In the weeks prior to her death, fans also expressed excitement to see Trachtenberg reprise her role as Dawn Summers in the recently-announced Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.