Certainly not the news that we want to be reporting, but actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died at the age of 39. While no cause of death has been determined, Trachtenberg posted a series of posts recently that sparked concerns among her fans.
Per The New York Post, Trachtenberg’s death was confirmed by police sources who stated that she was found at 8:00 AM on Wednesday by her mother at a luxury apartment complex in New York. Trachtenberg’s death is currently not being investigated as suspicious, with some reports suggesting the actress recently underwent a liver transplant. Others have expressed concern over Trachtenberg’s health in recent months based on her social media presence.

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The 35-year old actress played the sister of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy when she was a teenager.

Trachtenberg counts 800,000 followers on Instagram, where some fans were troubled by recent photos of the actress and left presumptuous comments questioning her weight and whether she was struggling with drug abuse. In response to some of these comments, Trachtenberg stated, “Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.” It seemed that many fans were posting out of concern for Trachtenberg’s health and not necessarily criticizing her appearance. Some fans pointed to her hair being thinner and her eyes appearing to have a yellow color to them.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Career Was Filled With Beloved Roles

Trachtenberg was born on October 11, 1985, in New York City and began her career in 1998 in a Wisk detergent commercial before making an appearance in the second season of Law & Order. She rose to fame with the younger set playing Nona F. Mecklenberg on the cult-classic Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. She played the role from 1994 to 1996, during which she pulled double duty, playing Lily Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children. Trachtenberg stayed within the Nickelodeon family for her first film role in 1996’s Harriet the Spy, which grossed $26.6 million on a $12 million budget.
It was in 2000 that Trachtenberg scored what may be considered her most prominent role, as Dawn Summers, in the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which reunited her with Sarah Michelle Gellar following their time on All My Children together. Trachtenberg remained on Buffy until the show ended in 2003. The following year, she starred in the comedy Eurotrip, which has gone on to become a cult classic since its release. Trachtenberg’s other film credits include Inspector Gadget, Ice Princess, and 17 Again, among others.
Trachtenberg stayed busy in film and TV over the years with roles in 2006’s Black Christmas remake and The CW’s Gossip Girl, where she played the scene-stealing Georgina Sparks. The character proved so popular that she returned for a multiple-episode arc during the show’s second season and would return again during Seasons 3, 4, 5 and the sixth and final season. Trachtenberg also reprised her Gossip Girl role in the second and final season of the short-lived revival on Max. The actress’ memorable television roles include guest spots on Weeds, Criminal Minds and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Source: The New York Post