Michelle Trachtenberg: Buffy and Gossip Woman actress dies aged 39

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who rose to fame as a baby star within the Nineties and 2000s, has died aged 39.

Police in Manhattan mentioned they responded to an emergency name on Wednesday morning, and located Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive”. She was pronounced useless on the scene.

The American actress was greatest recognized for enjoying Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s youthful sister Daybreak Summers, and later took on the function of manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Woman – which ran from 2007 to 2012 – as an grownup.

Trachtenberg made her movie debut in Harriet the Spy in 1996, and she or he appeared in a number of Nickelodeon productions.

Her household’s representatives confirmed her loss of life in an announcement.

“It’s with nice unhappiness to verify that Michelle Trachtenberg has handed away. The household requests privateness for his or her loss,” it mentioned.

Authorities mentioned her loss of life was not being handled as suspicious.

“Criminality isn’t suspected. The medical expert will decide the reason for loss of life. The investigation stays ongoing,” the NYPD mentioned in an announcement.

Trachtenberg acquired her begin in performing at age 9 on the Nickelodeon tv sequence The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Within the early 2000s, she was nominated for a number of performing awards – together with a Daytime Emmy Award – for her function in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She additionally starred in movies together with EuroTrip, Ice Princess, Killing Kennedy, and Sister Cities.

US comic Rosie O’Donnell, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in her Harriet the Spy debut, mentioned her loss of life was “heart-breaking.”

“I cherished her very a lot. She struggled the previous few years. I want I may have helped.”

Former castmates on her hottest reveals have additionally paid tribute.

English actor Ed Westwick, who performed the character Chuck Bass on Gossip Woman, posted on Instagram an image of Trachtenberg as her character within the present, Georgina Sparks.

“So unhappy to listen to of the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg. Sending prayers,” he wrote.

Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer castmate David Boreanaz wrote on Instagram: “So very unhappy. Horrible information”.

In a social media tribute to Trachtenberg, one other Buffy castmate James Marsters mentioned the actress was “fiercely clever, howlingly humorous, and a really gifted individual”.

“She died a lot too younger, and leaves behind scores of people that knew and cherished her,” Marsters mentioned.

Trachtenberg first appeared in Gossip Woman in 2008. She returned to the function for 2 episodes of the second season of HBO Max’s reboot in 2023.

Her final main performing function was in 2021 because the host of a true-crime docuseries Meet, Marry, Homicide, which appeared on digital streamer Tubi.

In 2021, Trachtenberg accused Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon of inappropriate behaviour on set, after her co-star Charisma Carpenter mentioned she had been left traumatised because of the therapy she acquired from Whedon.