Late actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, died at just 39 years old earlier this year. Now that her cause of death has been determined, Trachtenberg’s health has made headlines.
On February 26, 2025, the New York Police Department responded to a 911 call around 8 a.m. in Manhattan, where Trachtenberg was found dead in a 51-story apartment complex located on Central Park South, New York City. According to The New York Post, the 911 call reported a woman experiencing cardiac arrest.
“Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” and emergency medical services subsequently pronounced her deceased, police said. While authorities have ruled out foul play, fans were left stunned by the sudden news, especially as she had been active on Instagram just days before her passing.
Learn more about her health leading up to her unexpected passing.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Health
In February, sources told ABC News that Trachtenberg “recently underwent a liver transplant and may have been experiencing complications.” A year before her death, Trachtenberg addressed and shut down criticism regarding her appearance and health.
“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,” Trachtenberg wrote in the caption of an Instagram post on Jan. 18, 2024.
The comments, which started a few days before her post and persisted until her death, criticized Trachtenberg’s weight loss, jaundiced eyes, and “chapped lips,” among other things.
What Was Michelle Trachtenberg’s Cause of Death?
On April 16, 2025, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Trachtenberg’s cause of death was due to complications from diabetes.
In February, the NYPD confirmed they found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive,” and she was pronounced dead by emergency medical workers. Police were not investigating the death as suspicious and found no signs of foul play. “Criminality is not suspected,” officials said. “The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.”
Michelle Trachtenberg’s TV Shows and Movies
Trachtenberg was known for countless film and television roles. She quickly won over hearts throughout the early 2000s, but she got her start in the late 1990s with her breakout film role, Harriet the Spy. She went on to appear in a slew of other movies, including Inspector Gadget, Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish, Black Christmas and Eurotrip, as well as TV shows like Law & Order, All My Children, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Mercy, Weeds, Criminal Minds, Sleepy Hollow and NCIS: Los Angeles.
The New York City native’s most acclaimed film and TV roles were in Ice Princess, 17 Again, Gossip Girl, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
