Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles in the hit teen drama series, “Gossip Girl” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died at 39.
According to reports from ABC 7 New York, Trachtenberg’s mother found the actress’ body on Wednesday morning in her New York City apartment near Columbus Circle. While there are very few details about Trachtenberg’s death, police sources say it is not believed to be suspicious and that she appears to have passed of natural causes, having recently undergone a liver transplant.
Born and raised in New York City, the child star made her acting debut in commercials at just three years old before landing roles on television shows like “Law & Order” by the age of six. Trachtenberg’s early appearances hinted at a successful future, culminating in 62 acting credits. Among them was her breakout role in the book-to-movie adaptation of “Harriet the Spy,” where she starred alongside Rosie O’Donnell, Eartha Kitt, and J. Smith-Cameron.
O’Donnell, who worked closely with Trachtenberg on “Harriet the Spy,” reflected on the actresses’ alleged troubles in a statement to People, saying, “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
As the outlet points out, Trachtenberg’s final Instagram post was seven days ago, where she shared a throwback of herself wanting to “look like naughty #tinkerbell.”
In recent months, Trachtenberg shared a number of photos to her 800,000+ followers appearing gaunt and frail, which led many of her fans to speculate on the condition of her mental and physical health.
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