Michelle Trachtenberg, a popular TV actor, died of complications from diabetes, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office.
Trachtenberg, 39, was found dead in February and had recently received a liver transplant, according to NBC News, but the cause of her death had been unclear at the time.
Trachtenberg rose to fame at a young age, starting her career at the age of three when she starred in commercials before going on to join Nickelodeon’s show The Adventures of Pete & Pete, as well as the soap opera All My Children.
The actor landed her first lead film role in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy, acting alongside Rosie O’Donnell and J Smith-Cameron. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2021, Trachtenberg said: “There was a lot required of me … I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
Other projects Trachtenberg starred in include the teen comedy EuroTrip, as well as the critically acclaimed drama Mysterious Skin by Gregg Araki.
Reflecting on her experience with Mysterious Skin, Trachtenberg said: “I was this girl who had done glitzy, PG-themed stuff and here’s Gregg Araki, director of Doom Generation, and we sat down and had a cup of coffee and I said: ‘You’re probably not gonna hire me but this is what I got, this is what I feel. If you’re willing to take the chance, I’m willing to go there with you.’ It was the most exhilarating experience I’ve had as an actress.”
Following her death, Trachtenberg’s various cast members paid tributes to her, with her Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively writing: “She was electricity … You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.”
Similarly, Smith-Cameron wrote: “She was always very warm toward me. I feel very shocked and unsettled to hear of her passing.”
Meanwhile, the Buffy the Vampire lead, Sarah Michelle Gellar, said: “Michelle, listen to me … Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live … for you.”
