Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at 39 — After 'Harriet the Spy' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Star Worried Fans With 'Sick' Appearance For Months Before Shock Passing
Michelle Trachtenberg has died aged 39.
Feb. 26 2025, Published 12:38 p.m. ET
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg has died aged 39, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Police sources confirmed her death on Wednesday, February 26, and said she died of complications following a liver transplant.
The actress' mother reportedly discovered her body at her apartment near Columbus Circle in New York City at around 8 A.M. No foul play is believed to be involved, and her death is not being investigated as suspicious.
Trachtenberg's cause of death remains unknown but is not being investigated as suspicious, according to police sources.
Trachtenberg, who was known for her roles in hit TV shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, reportedly had a liver transplant after allegedly battling alcohol issues.
Prior to her death, she shared a series of troubling posts on Instagram in the weeks leading up to her death, sparking concern from followers over her frail and "sick" appearance.
The Harriet the Spy star hit back at "haters," commenting about her appearance on her posts, telling fans: "Explain to me how I look sick.
"Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment."
Fans expressed concerns over Trachtenberg's gaunt appearance in the weeks before her death.
Some concerned fans attempted to defend comments about her appearance and claimed they were merely concerned for her health as she appeared gaunt and her eyes had a yellowish tint.
But Trachtenberg reassured her nearly 800,000 followers she was "happy and healthy."
She responded to a comment on a separate post: "I've received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters."
Trachtenberg reassured fans in January that she was 'happy and healthy.'
In her final Instagram post on February 12, she shared a throwback photo captioned: "I wanted to look like naughty #tinkerbell."
Fans flooded the comment section with condolences for the actress and her family.
One user wrote: "I’m so sorry your life was cut short and I'm so sorry people were not kinder to you while you were here. You deserved better."
Another referenced her character in Gossip Girl, writing: "You will always be our iconic Georgina Sparks. Michelle you will always in our hearts 💔 RIP angel."
A third added: "She raised all of us who grew up in the 2000s may she rest in peace."
She shared her final Instagram post on February 12.
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Trachtenberg was born in New York City on October 11, 1985.
Her acting career began when she was just three-years-old when she began starring in commercials. She made her television debut on Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete, in which she starred from 1994 to 1996.
As a teenager, she gained popularity in cult classics including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Euro Trip.
Over the course of her career, she earned a Young Artists Award for her role in CBS' Meego, a Daytime Emmy Award as the host of Discovery Kids' Truth or Scare, and was nominated for the Saturn Award three times,
She most recently starred in the Tubi true crime series Meet, Marry, Murder in 2021.
