Buffy and Gossip Girl actress dies aged 39
Michelle Trachtenberg became a child star in the 1990s and 2000s at the age of 39, the New York Police Department told CBS News, a U.S. partner of the BBC.
The American actress is known for playing Vampire Slayer’s sister Dawn Summers as Buffy, and later played gossip girl manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks (from 2007 to 2012) as an adult.
Police said her death was not considered suspicious.
Trachtenberg made her debut on Harriet The Spy in 1996, and she appeared in several Nickelodeon works.
Her family representative confirmed her death in a statement.
It said: “It is very sad to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family demands privacy losses.”
Manhattan police said they responded to the emergency call Wednesday morning and found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive.” She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There is no suspected crime. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation is still underway,” the New York Police Department said in a statement.
Trachtenberg started acting in the Nickelodeon TV series “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” at 9.
In the early 2000s, she won several performance awards for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, including the Daytime Emmy Awards.
She has also appeared in films including Eurotrip, Ice Princess, Killing Kennedy and Sister Cities.
American comedian Rosie O’Donnell starred in her Harriet debut with Trachtenberg, and her death was “heartbreaking.”
“I love her very much. She has struggled over the past few years. I hope I can help you.”
The former actors in her most popular show also pay tribute.
British actor Ed Westwick plays the role of Chuck Bass on Gossip Girls, posts a picture of Trachtenberg on Instagram as her character Georgina Sparks.
He wrote: “It’s so sad to hear the death of Michelle Trachtenberg.
“Very horrible news” wrote on Instagram.
Trachtenberg first appeared in Gossip Girls in 2008.
Her final main acting role was in 2021, when it was a real crime documentary conference, Married to the murder, the record appeared in the digital streamer picture.
In 2021, Trachtenberg accused Buffy of inappropriate behavior by vampire killer Joss Whedon, in which her co-star Charisma Carpenter said it was traumatized by the treatment he received from Whedon.
