Michelle Trachtenberg’s final social media posts before her death were throwback photos from her Hollywood past.
The actress, known for her work on Gossip Girl and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was found unconscious in her New York City apartment on Wednesday, February 26, police sources confirmed to Us Weekly. She was 39.
A week before her death, Trachtenberg took to Instagram to post past headshots and several photos from previous red carpet events she attended — including the School Of American Ballet’s Winter Ball in March 2011 and National Geographic Channel’s Killing Kennedy premiere in November 2013.
“A memory, a magical night in #newyork. I remember feeling like Cinderella!
Wishing everyone an ethereal weekend 💖 #throwback ⚡️,” Trachtenberg wrote in a nostalgic post on February 15. She shared a photo of herself at the Winter Ball wearing a blue chiffon Marchesa dress with embellishments. She wore her hair in a low ponytail with a side part.
Michelle Trachtenberg has a message for all her “haters” after revealing she’s done with trolls gossiping about her looks. Earlier this month, Trachtenberg posted a photo with pal Alexa PenaVega on Instagram. “Michelle u look sick. R u ok?” one user wrote in the comments section of the photo that showed the two actresses getting […]
She also shared a picture from the Killing Kennedy premiere, to which she wore a green gown with a criss-cross cutout neckline. “I wanted to look like naughty #tinkerbell 💚 #throwback ⚡️,” she wrote on February 19.
Trachtenberg, who began her career as a child star in commercials as well as on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1994-1996) before nabbing the lead role in Harriet the Spy (1996), also shared a blurry headshot on February 16, writing, “#sundayscaries ain’t got nothing on me! 💙💋.”
News of her death comes after Trachtenberg sparked concern among fans over her social media posts last year. The Inspector Gadget star criticized followers for commenting on her appearance in an Instagram post in January 2024. “I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,” she wrote alongside a selfie.
“Explain to me how I look sick,” she replied to a commenter in another post, in which she posed with with pal Alexa PenaVega. “Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.”
In another throwback photo posted via Instagram on January 27, she wrote, “Haters gonna hate, 😝 #eye don’t care 💋 🧿.”
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Police sources confirmed to Us on Wednesday that Trachtenberg was found unconscious inside her Midtown West Side apartment in New York City. The incident is not believed to be suspicious. No cause of death has been reported. (The New York Post was the first to break the news.)
Following her child stardom, Trachtenberg went on to join the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s sister, Dawn, and was a fan-favorite guest star on Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks. She reprised the role in 2022 and 2023 episodes of the revived Gossip Girl.
More recently, Trachtenberg appeared in the film Spyral and also served as an executive producer for 2021’s Meet, Marry, Murder series, which she also hosted.
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