ALBAWABA - Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl," passed away at the age of 39.
According to police sources, Trachtenberg's mother discovered her body Wednesday shortly after 8 a.m. local time in her apartment near Columbus Circle in New York City.
The actress may have been dealing with problems following her recent liver transplant. No foul play is suspected, and Trachtenberg is thought to have died of natural causes.
The medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy to ascertain the cause and manner of death.
Born in New York City, Trachtenberg began her acting career as a child star, appearing in Nickelodeon shows such as "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" and "Harriet the Spy."
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg on February 9, 2020 in West hollywood, california. / AFP / Michael Tran
Her breakthrough role was playing Dawn, the younger sister of Sarah Michelle Gellar's title character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 2000 to 2003. She was nominated for a 2001 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Sidekick because of the performance.
In a recent post, Trachtenberg reflected on her time co-starring alongside Gellar on "Buffy." She posted a picture of them together just last month with the remark, "Slay all day! I've always cherished this twin picture of us! #womancrushwednesday #dawn #sister #buffy."
In addition, the actress appeared in the music video for the 2007 smash song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy.
HOLLYWOOD - APRIL 14: Actor Zac Efron and actress Michelle Trachtenberg(Photo by Jason Merritt / Getty Images via AFP)
Trachtenberg appeared on "Gossip Girl" from 2008 to 2012 as Georgina Sparks. She received a nomination for the 2012 Teen Choice Award's Choice TV Villain category for her performance.
Trachtenberg remarked, "It's kind of easy to be evil when you're saying evil things," in reference to her 2009 performance as "Gossip Girl" for Seventeen. "Compared to playing the good girl, it's undoubtedly far more enjoyable. I adore the response you receive. Why certain performers choose not to portray villains or evil characters has always baffled me.
In addition, Trachtenberg has starred in numerous television series, such as "Mercy," "Weeds," and "Truth or Scare," early in her career. In the 2022 "Gossip Girl" remake on HBO, she had a brief storyline.
She portrayed characters in movies such as "EuroTrip," "17 Again," and "The Scribbler."
