Celebs React To Michelle Tratchenberg's Sudden Death

When the New York Post first reported that "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" star Michelle Trachtenberg had passed away on February 26, it swallowed the internet with mourning. Stunned at the loss of such a talent with seemingly many more years ahead of her, several of Trachtenberg's previous castmates and co-stars have come forward to pay their respects and offer words of consolation.

According to ABC News, the "Gossip Girl" star was found unresponsive in her apartment early in the morning. Heartbreakingly, it was Trachtenberg's mother who found her and made the initial 911 call. As of reporting, the death is still being investigated, but so far the actress is believed to have passed away from natural causes. Sources indicated Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant and it's been suggested her untimely death could have been due to complications. An autopsy is set to be performed, but while the results of that are up in the air, several celebrities have turned to social media to offer up condolences.

Many of Trachtenberg's "Buffy" co-stars have said lovely things about her, as well as people who only worked with her briefly on Nickelodeon and even "Clarissa Explains It All." Here are some of the sweet yet sad celebrity reactions to the tragedy of Trachtenberg's passing.

As the news broke of Michelle Trachtenberg's death, several "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" cast members reacted to the tragedy. Trachtenberg played Dawn, Buffy's younger sister that appeared in the final three seasons.

David Boreanaz, the actor behind Angel on both "Buffy" and his own spinoff "Angel," shared an Instagram story of a photo of Trachtenberg and the words "So very sad ... horrible news. R.I.P. and prayers to her and her family." After Boreanaz sang his praises, Emma Caulfield, who played vengeance demon Anya, also took to Instagram stories to say, "I'm so sorry your bright light died so young ... Rest in peace, lovely Mish Mish. You were loved." James Marsters who masterfully played vampire bad boy Spike also had quite a bit to say.

In an Instagram post dedicated to Trachtenberg, Marsters states, "My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person." Marsters continued to reaffirm just how much the star will be missed and issued a reminder to give Trachtenberg's family the space they need to mourn. He is also one of many stars who have pointed out just how young Trachtenberg was at the time of her death, and how much more she clearly had to give.

After Michelle Trachtenberg's "Buffy" co-stars spoke out, other previous castmates offered their condolences. Ed Westwick, who famously played Chuck Bass on "Gossip Girl," said in an Instagram story, "So sad to hear of the passing of [Michelle]. Sending prayers." But it wasn't just Westwick who was reminding everyone there was much more to Trachtenberg than met the eye.

Kenan Thompson also took to Instagram to make a heartwarming post. Alongside a video and a photo of the two of them, Thompson reminded his followers that they both got their start on Nickelodeon. Referring to her as, "Our first Nick movie star," Thompson goes on to state, "She was my friend and now she rests!! Check on your people!!!" But he wasn't the only casual co-star to pay tribute. Melissa Joan Hart posted some fond memories of the brief time she and Trachtenberg got to act alongside each other.

In her post on Instagram, Hart shared a clip from a scene in which Trachtenberg was playing an ungovernable child that Hart's character of Clarissa from "Clarissa Explains It All" had to babysit. In the caption she admits, "I'm heartbroken to hear of the passing of [Michelle]!! So young, so talented and so sweet!" She also mentioned just how well the two were able to work together while on set. And again, Hart is not alone in this sentiment.

It wasn't just television sets that Michelle Trachtenberg graced with her presence, she was also a bona fide movie star in her own right. During her transformative childhood, Trachtenberg was lucky enough to be cast alongside several heavy hitters and make permanent bonds with people who truly cared about her later in life. One such actress was Kim Cattrall, who made an endearing post on Instagram detailing the time they spent together while filming "Ice Princess."

The photo is a still from the set of the film and Cattrall captioned the post with, "Rest in peace sweet Michelle." Cattrall also responded on X, formerly Twitter, to Variety's post breaking the news. There the "Sex and the City" actress wrote, "This is Heartbreaking. So talented, much too young." But she wasn't the only actress who had fond memories of Trachtenberg.

Trachtenberg's breakout role in "Harriet the Spy" could easily be the reason she was catapulted to fame at such a young age. Rosie O'Donnell, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in the film, told People, "I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped." With O'Donnell's mysterious wording around the state Trachtenberg might have been in leading up to her passing, it does invite a lot of questions. So far the New York Police Department has only confirmed Trachtenberg's death and stated, "Criminality is not suspected."