Inside The Last Year Of Michelle Trachtenberg's Life

If you grew up in the early 2000s, you're probably familiar with the late actor Michelle Trachtenberg. The Brooklyn native, best known for her roles in TV shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl," was found dead at age 39 in her Manhattan apartment on February 26, 2025. Her sudden passing prompted an outpouring of condolence on X, formerly Twitter. "Rest in peace, Michelle Trachtenberg. Thank you for the childhood memories," wrote one user. Another penned: "Wow, this one really really hurts. Michelle Trachtenberg love you forever." 

While Trachtenberg never officially retired from acting, her TV and movie appearances dwindled in the final few years of her life. Her last credits were in 2022 and 2023 for two episodes of Max's "Gossip Girl" revival, where she reprised her infamous role as Georgina Sparks. When her death was announced, very few details were provided other than it was not being investigated as suspicious, per The New York Post. This left many fans, who may have lost touch with her career in recent years, with unanswered questions about her health. Sources further told the outlet that Trachtenberg had gotten a liver transplant sometime in the year before her death, but it's unclear exactly when. What we do know, based on her social media presence, is that Trachtenberg lived a fairly quiet life in her final year.

There were many tragic details about Michelle Trachtenberg's life and the possibility that she was sick in her last year and had to defend herself against fans is only another one. In January 2024, fans first noticed her appearance had changed after she posted a photo on Instagram with fellow child star Alexa Vega. Many claimed the "Ice Princess" star looked sick, pointing out that her hair was thinning and her eyes were yellow. However, Trachtenberg refuted these claims that she wasn't well and instead suggested that she looked different because she was getting older. "Explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realize I'm not 14. I'm 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment," she fired back at one user in her comment section (via Page Six). 

The day after posting with Vega, Trachtenberg seemingly couldn't get over the negative comments she received and shared a selfie where she continued to clap back. "I've received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters," she wrote in the caption. This didn't exactly quell users from commenting on her appearance, though. "I feel like most people who commented on your previous photo were trying to show concern for your health ... not being a hater," wrote one person. However, Trachtenberg never shared any information publicly about her health.

While Michelle Trachtenberg's final year may have been rife with unconfirmed health struggles, she didn't let that stop her from having fun with her hair. In a January 2025 Instagram selfie, she debuted new reddish-pink streaks at the ends of her hair. "This girl is on fire," she wrote in the caption, seemingly nodding to her new colorful treads. During this hair transformation, she even took a selfie from the salon chair alongside NYC-based hairstylist Jeremy Cohen, which they both shared on their Instagram Stories. This wasn't Trachtenberg's first time with colored hair, since she also rocked similar pink streaks in early 2024. 

In addition to keeping her hair in check, Trachtenberg, who is naturally beautiful without makeup, continued to get glammed up and wear makeup in many of her Instagram photos. However, her final few Instagram posts were exclusively throwback photos — some were taken on red carpets and others seemed to be classic actor headshots.

In January 2025, Michelle Trachtenberg posted a selfie with "Friends" alum David Schwimmer in New York City that likely tugged at the heartstrings of millennials everywhere. "Just hanging out with some friends," she wrote in the caption. Though they never worked together, Trachtenberg's connection to Schwimmer could stem from her role alongside his late "Friends" co-star Matthew Perry in "17 Again." Aside from this photo and the aforementioned one with Alexa Vega, Trachtenberg didn't post many current photos with others. However, she frequently shared photos of her cats as well as some snarky or inspirational text posts.

On February 14, 2025, she also posted a sweet message to her longtime boyfriend, talent agent Jay Cohen, on Instagram. "Happy Valentine's Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face," she wrote alongside what looked to be a throwback photo of her dressed as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Cohen dressed as Frankenstein's monster. She also posted the same costumed photo of them in March 2024 for Cohen's birthday. The couple, who had been romantically linked since 2020, kept their relationship very private. That would explain the lack of photos of them together in the past year.