Michelle Trachtenberg death: ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Buffy’ co-stars and friends pay tribute

Film and television star Michelle Trachtenberg’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media from fans, celebrities and friends. Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star Chace Crawford said her death was a “terrible loss” and recalled how she was “one of a kind.” 

 “I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it. She was a force of nature and just so unapologetically funny and magnetic… remembering those years with a big smile,” he wrote in an Instagram post that featured a series of photographs with Trachtenberg. 

Trachtenberg, famous for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as several hit films, was found dead in her New York apartment on Wednesday, February 26. She was 39. Sources revealed to ABC news that the actress may have recently undergone a liver transplant. 

 “So very sad … horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family,” actor David Boreanaz, her co-star on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wrote in an Instagram story. 

Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl shared that he was “so sad” to hear of her passing. 

 Kim Cattrall, who starred with Trachtenberg in the uplifting teen film Ice Princess, wrote in her social media tribute that the news about her death was “heartbreaking.” 

“Rest in peace, sweet Michelle. So talented, much too young,” she posted. 

 British media personality Amanda de Cadenet’s tribute to Trachtenberg on Instagram revealed that the latter had been suffering health-wise recently. 

Addressing Trachtenberg in her post, she wrote, “What sad news this morning to wake up to. It feels weird and awful to be posting this, but I want to acknowledge your death because I cared about you.” 

 Sharing a photo of a younger Trachtenberg, she continued, “I will always remember you as the young vivacious woman I met when I took this photo of you …Seeing your face from the hospital bed when we FaceTimed recently, even though you did not look like you, your sweetness and humor were still alive. I will not share the details of our conversations over the last 6 months, but you knew that death was a high possibility." 

She added that she wished Trachtenberg had a “peaceful transition.”

 While Trachtenberg herself never publicly revealed any medical issues, she did respond to Instagram comments about her looks in January 2024, writing, "Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have to hate? Get a calendar."