Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy The Vampire Slayer Star, Dead At 39

A beloved TV star is gone far too soon. Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl," has died at the age of 39, per The New York Post. Sources told ABC News that Trachtenberg's mother found her dead around 8 a.m. on February 26, 2025, in her New York City apartment. The cause of death has not been revealed, but sources say that, as of now, the circumstances are not thought to be suspicious. Trachtenberg was said to have received a liver transplant weeks before her death, and it is possible that there were complications as a result of the surgery.

This tragic news about Trachtenberg comes after a slew of Instagram posts and photos of the star looking unrecognizable caught folks' attention and caused concern over the past year. In January 2024, she replied to fans' concern on Instagram, asserting that she was "happy and healthy." 

Michelle Trachtenberg went through quite a transformation before fans' eyes since her career began. Her first big role was Nona F. Mecklenberg in the Nickelodeon series "The Adventures of Pete and Pete" when she was just 9 years old. She made her switch to the big screen in 1996, playing the titular role in "Harriet the Spy." Despite making a major name for herself as a young child actor, her most memorable roles were still to come. She played Dawn Summers, the younger sister of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," on the hit TV series, as well as transforming into the iconic Georgina Sparks on "Gossip Girl."

While some fans wondered whatever happened to Trachtenberg after she mostly stepped away from Hollywood, others kept up with the star on social media. Over the months before her death, her appearance online differed greatly from how much of the public remembered her. Yet, Trachtenberg fired back. She posted a selfie to Instagram in January 2024 and assured fans that she looked different simply because she had gotten older. "Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have [to] hate? Get a calendar," she wrote in the caption. The news of Trachtenberg's passing comes less than a month after a forthcoming "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reboot was announced. Many fans reached out to Trachtenberg on social media about their hopes to see her in the new series.