Michelle Trachtenberg’s Cause Of Death Revealed Following Sudden Passing At 39
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on April 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM EDT
Updated on April 16, 2025 at 5:42 PM EDT
The cause of death for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl" star Michelle Trachtenberg has been confirmed.
As The Blast reported, the actress was found unresponsive in her midtown Manhattan apartment on February 26. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, and no foul play was suspected.
Initially, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner announced that Trachtenberg’s cause of death would remain undetermined due to the family's request not to perform an autopsy for religious reasons.
The office only overrides such requests when criminality is suspected, which, in Michelle Trachtenberg’s case, it was not. However, following a full review of laboratory test results, the office amended the report.
Cause Of Death Revealed For Michelle Trachtenberg
According to a statement provided to Deadline, Trachtenberg died of natural causes due to complications from diabetes mellitus.
A lifelong performer, Trachtenberg began her acting career at just 3 years old, appearing in commercials before landing her first major role as Lily Montgomery on the iconic soap opera "All My Children." She became a fan favorite on Nickelodeon’s "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her work on Discovery’s "Truth or Scare."
A Look Back At Trachtenberg's Career
Her breakout film role came in 1996 when she starred as Harriet M. Welsch in the big-screen adaptation of "Harriet the Spy." The Paramount film became a touchstone for '90s kids and cemented her status as one of the most recognizable young stars of the decade.
After news broke of her death, Rosie O’Donnell, who first worked with Trachtenberg on the 1996 film, shared a heartfelt statement reflecting on their connection.
"I loved her very much," O'Donnell said at the time. "She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped."
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who worked with the late actress on "Buffy," also released a statement, expressing, "Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live... for you."
‘She Had Fire, She Had Spark’: 'Harriet The Spy' Director Recalls Michelle Trachtenberg’s ‘Magical’ Audition
Bronwen Hughes, who directed "Harriet the Spy," told The Hollywood Reporter, “Michelle was like a lightning bolt of a casting discovery. She had fire, she had spark, she had truth, and she had Harriet’s conviction, like her sense of self. No one else came in the room like that."
Hughes added, "So she had that acting gene that you can’t really teach. It’s innate, which is not something you find very often. In the shoot, we would ask her to climb or fight or cajole or make us laugh or tease or throw herself face down into a vat of blue paint, and she could do it all."
The director concluded, "She did it all with total immersion and total conviction. She was everything that Harriet needed to be, and she never had a false note, and you couldn’t really take your eyes off her. That was magical casting for us.”
From 'Buffy' To 'Gossip Girl': Trachtenberg’s Roles That Defined a Generation
She later appeared in the 2004 cult comedy "EuroTrip," the Disney sports drama "Ice Princess," and the 2009 comedy "17 Again," where she starred alongside Zac Efron and Matthew Perry.
Trachtenberg returned to TV in a major way in 2008 when she joined the cast of "Gossip Girl" as Georgina Sparks, a devious and unpredictable foil whose chaotic energy left a lasting impression on the Upper East Side.
Blake Lively Pays Tribute To Michelle Trachtenberg: ‘She Was Electricity’
Blake Lively, who starred in "Gossip Girl" alongside Trachtenberg, took to her Instagram Stories shortly after the news broke to share a lengthy message, which read, in part, “She was electricity. You know when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.”
Lively went on, “She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”
Michelle Trachtenberg’s sudden passing has left Hollywood in mourning, but her impact on screen and the hearts of those who grew up watching her remains undeniable.
