Michelle Trachtenberg, ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy’ Actress, Dies at 39

Last updated: February 27, 2025 1:27 am

3 Min Read

Disclosure: This website may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. I only recommend products or services that I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Your support is appreciated!

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

The actress Michelle Trachtenberg at an Oscar party in Los Angeles in 2020. Credit… Kurt Krieger/Corbis, via Getty Images Police officers, responding to a 911 call, found her unresponsive in a Manhattan apartment on Wednesday morning, the authorities said.

The actress Michelle Trachtenberg at an Oscar party in Los Angeles in 2020. Credit… Kurt Krieger/Corbis, via Getty Images

Michelle Trachtenberg, a touchstone of millennial youth culture who grew up onscreen, rising to fame as a troubled teenager on the supernatural 1990s series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and as a conniving young socialite on “Gossip Girl,” was found dead on Wednesday in Manhattan. She was 39.

The New York Police Department said in a statement that officers, responding to a 911 call just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, found Ms. Trachtenberg unconscious and unresponsive in a Manhattan apartment. She was pronounced dead by emergency medical workers, who had also responded.

The department said that the medical examiner would determine the cause of death, but added that criminal activity was not suspected.

Image

Ms. Trachtenberg in 2000. She amassed a long list of film and television credits in a career that began when she was a child. Credit… Online USA, via Getty Images Ms. Trachtenberg established her longstanding presence on the small screen at the age of 3, when she appeared in a television commercial for Wisk laundry detergent in which she spilled cranberry juice.

Before she was 10, she was making regular appearances on the Nickelodeon sitcom “The Adventures of Pete & Pete,” as well appearing on the enduring ABC daytime drama “All My Children.”

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT