TRAGIC

‘Gossip Girl’ Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at Age 39

The star got her start as a child actress in the movie “Harriet the Spy.”

Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Michelle Trachtenberg passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 39.

According to The New York Post, Trachtenberg was found in her New York City apartment on Central Park South.

Although Trachtenberg’s cause of death is not yet known, police are not treating her death as suspicious.

The actress began her career in Hollywood as a child actress, first appearing in Harriet the Spy as the titular character, before breaking into the mainstream as Dawn Summers, Buffy’s little sister in the beloved series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trachtenberg landed her next big role in Gossip Girl, playing the meddlesome Georgina Sparks out for revenge on Blake Lively’s character Serena van der Woodsen.

Trachtenberg kept a low profile in the last few years, taking on small guest starring roles in Weeds and Criminal Minds. However, in recent months, Trachtenberg sparked public concern after she posted photos of herself on Instagram, where she appeared to have lost a significant amount of weight.

Sources told ABC News that the actress recently underwent a liver transplant, and might have been experiencing complications from the operation.

Clare DonaldsonEditorial Intern

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