Michelle Trachtenberg Remembered as ‘Electric’ After Her Death at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg, an actress known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died. She was 39.

Police responded to a 911 call at Trachtenberg’s New York City home just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, where she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Associated Press.

Sources told ABC News the actress recently had a liver transplant and may have been dealing with complications.

Authorities believe she died of natural causes, with no foul play suspected. However, the New York Medical Examiner is investigating her death.

Trachtenberg’s Hollywood career spanned decades. She got her big break in 1996, starring in the movie Harriet the Spy, her first lead film role. Prior to that, she was a familiar face as a child star on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Rosie O’Donnell, Trachtenberg’s Harriet the Spy co-star, reacted to the news of her death in a statement to People, calling it “heartbreaking.”

“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped,” O’Donnell said.

Comedian and former Nickelodeon star Kenan Thompson also remembered the actress.

“Our first Nickelodeon movie star, Michelle Trachtenberg, has departed us!! She was my friend and now she rests!! Check on your people!!!” Thompson posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Blake Lively, who played Serena van der Woodsen on the hit CW series Gossip Girl, honored her late co-star on an Instagram Story.

“This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed,” Lively wrote in a lengthy post.

She added, “Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”

The New York native appeared in several movies throughout the 2000s, making her a millennial fan favorite, including the 2005 Disney film Ice Princess, where she played a math prodigy turned figure skater.

She also starred in EuroTrip and 17 Again. Most recently, she reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in Max’s Gossip Girl reboot in 2023, her last credited role according to IMDb.