Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles on TV series Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at age 39.
Police sources, speaking to the New York Post who first reported the tragic news, as well as ABC News, said Trachtenberg’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. on Wednesday at luxury residential tower in midtown where “officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” according to an NYPD statement.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. No foul play was suspected and the New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
A cause of death was not immediately known.
Sources told ABC News she recently underwent a liver transplant and may have been experiencing complications.
Trachtenberg rose to fame in the 1990s, with a role on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Her movie debut came in 1996’s Harriet the Spy, in which she played the title character.
From 2008 to 2012, she had a recurring role as Georgian Sparks, “The Witch of the Upper East Side,” on Gossip Girl and reprised her role as the manipulative socialite in the 2023 Gossip Girl reboot on HBO Max.
She was arguably best-known, however, for her role as Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn Summers, in her 66-episode run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 2000 to 2003.
—
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
