Michelle Trachtenberg, an actress known for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” died at age 39 on Feb. 26.
Trachtenberg was pronounced dead in her New York City apartment in Manhattan near Columbus Circle a little after 8 a.m. According to Trachtenberg’s mother, police sources told ABC News that she was killed. ABC News reported that the actress recently had a liver transplant and there may have been complications. It is suspected the actress died from natural causes.
Katerina Lynes, sophomore at Briar Woods High School, thinks that “it’s suspicious because she was young and even though she just had a liver transplant, I think there is something else to it like maybe foul play.”
Lynes added “a year ago she was posting weird photos of her looking all different and having weird medications and I think it’s just suspicious it happened a year later.”
Trachtenberg made her first acting debut with roles in Nickelodeon acting in a series called “The Adventure of Pete & Pete” and a film called “Harriet the Spy.”
Her big break was when she was cast as Dawn in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” from 2000-2003. The role ultimately earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for choice TV sidekick in 2001.
The actress also made a cameo in Fall Out Boy’s music video for the band’s song “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” in 2007.
Trachtenberg also starred as Georgina Sparks on “Gossip Girl” from 2008 to 2012. For her role, she was nominated for the choice TV villain at the Teen Choice Award in 2012.
“It’s kind of easy to be evil when you’re saying evil things,” the actress told Seventeen in 2009 about her “Gossip Girl” role. “It’s definitely a lot more fun than playing the good girl. I love the reaction you get. I never understood why some actors don’t want to play villains or evil characters.”
The actress appeared in a wide range of television shows including “Truth or Scare,” “Mercy,” and had a minor role in the reboot of “Gossip Girl.” which ran for two seasons.
In film, she took on roles including “EuroTrip,” “17 Again,” and “A Father’s Choice.”
Teens today are recognizing her role in “Gossip Girl” and are devastated by the death of the actress. “I think it’s going to be hard to watch Gossip Girl knowing what happened to her because she was such a good character,” said Lynes.
Joe Mikhael, a sophomore at Briar Woods High School, says “obviously I’m very sad and [It’s] so heartbreaking. [And] it’s not just in Gossip Girl, it’s all of her other movies and series.”
Some of her co-stars have made stories or posts mourning over their late co-star and friend. Blake Lively played alongside her in “Gossip Girl” and posted an Instagram story based on their first day of filming together.
“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 can be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself,” Lively wrote.
The cause and manner of Michelle Trachtenberg’s death remains undetermined, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner after her family ultimately decided that an autopsy will not be conducted on her that leaves the media in question as to why they would deny, questioning if her family was in on her death.
The internet has blown up about this death as it has taken a toll on many people and fans. The question still has the media in question “What was the cause of Michelle Trachtenberg’s death?”
