By Erica Remboske
Correspondent
“Gossip Girl” actress Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead at 39 on Feb. 26. The cause of death is unknown at this time, but is suspected to be cardiac arrest. She was found unconscious after an emergency call was made to her apartment building in New York City. At the scene, Manhattan Police stated that no foul play was suspected.
According to People, Trachtenberg received a liver transplant a few months ago due to liver dysfunction from an alcohol addiction. This left a small gap in time between the transplant and her death, meaning there could have been a link, but right now it appears she died from natural causes. The family denied an autopsy.
According to the CDC, every year there are about 54,803 people who die from liver failure in the United States. Over 100 million people in the U.S. have some type of liver disease, but only 4.5 million adults have been diagnosed.
People Magazine also stated Trachtenberg was “really sick” and “struggling” in 2024. Her friends stated to People that she was open about how much, and how bad, she was struggling. Her friends also made it clear that she was “pale” and “very thin.”
Fans of the actress also spoke out about her looks. Throughout her social media accounts, like Instagram, there were comments regarding Trachtenberg’s “sickly” looks. Her Instagram post from Jan. 19, 2024, made followers notice the difference in her appearance stating that this was a “warning” of what she was going through.
Trachtenberg was born in New York City in 1985. She started off her acting career around the age of 10. In 2000, Trachtenberg was in the popular television show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as Dawn Summers, the sister of Buffy. In 2007, she starred as Georgina Sparks in “Gossip Girl,” which ran until 2012.
Trachtenberg was also a leading star in many other shows and movies such as “Harriet the Spy,” “17 Again” and an episode of “House” in 2006.
Over the years of her career, she was up for 10 nominations, winning five of them. The awards that she has won include, the Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series in 200 and Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series in 1998, the Sarasota Film Festival award for Breakthrough Performer in 2007.
