Sarah Michelle Gellar has paid tribute to her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, who has died aged 39.
Gossip Girl actor Trachtenberg, who starred in a myriad of 90s and 2000s TV shows and movies, was reportedly found dead by her mother in her New York City apartment near Central Park on 26 February.
The actor played Buffy’s sister Dawn in later seasons of the hit show and, the following day, Gellar memorialised her by modifying a famous line of dialogue from an episode of the series, in which Buffy urged her sister to flourish in life as she prepared to sacrifice her own.
“Michelle, listen to me,” Gellar wrote. “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.”
Gellar also added a key emoji in reference to Trachtenberg’s character on the show. Shortly after arriving in the series, Dawn was revealed to be the human form of a mythical key with the power to unlock another dimension.
The NYPD confirmed they found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive” and she was pronounced dead by emergency medical workers.
Her cause of death is not yet known, though police are not treating it as suspicious, sources told the New York Post. The New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death,
The actor’s untimely death has sent shockwaves among millennials, who grew up watching her in several iconic titles, including the 2005 sports movie Ice Princess, the 1996 family comedy Harriet the Spy and the 2009 Zac Efron-led comedy fantasy 17 Again.
More of Trachtenberg’s former co-stars, including Blake Lively and Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), Kim Cattrall (Ice Princess) and Rosie O’Donnell (Harriet the Spy), have also reacted to the “heartbreaking” news of her passing.
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Westwick paid tribute to her on Instagram, writing: “So sad to hear of the passing of [Michelle Trachtenberg]. Sending prayers,” while O’Donnell said in a statement: “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
Ed Westwick pays tribute
Westwick, who played Charles ‘Chuck’ Bass on Gossip Girl, shared a tribute on Instagram.
“So sad to hear of the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg,” he wrote. “Sending prayers.”
Greg Evans27 February 2025 09:30
Blake Lively mourns ‘fiercely loyal’ Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg: ‘She was electricity’
Trachtenberg played the antagonist Georgina Sparks to Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama and returned to the series several times during its six-season run between 2007 and 2012.
Greg Evans27 February 2025 09:00
Joshua Safran pays tribute
Safran who was a producer and wrote Gossip Girl, posted a tribute to Trachtenberg on X/Twitter. He wrote: “It was an honour and joy to write for Michelle for so many years. Writers don’t write specific characters on shows, even though many people believe they do. (How many times have I been asked “who wrote Blair?” The answer is: everyone!)
“However: Georgina unlocked something in me in which writing her was the easiest thing I’d done. It was partially the character: devious, delicious, direct — the most fun to write. But it was also Michelle. She had such a clear voice as an actor. You heard her as you typed.
“You knew she’d make each line rougher, more real, much funnier — and that made the writing better. She was an inspiration and an icon. There’s many reasons GG1 caught fire when we came back from the strike, but one of the biggest was the intro of her arc. The injection of *her.*
“Long live Georgina Sparks, and the brilliant woman who gave her the fire. You will be forever missed. xoxo“
Greg Evans27 February 2025 08:37
Melissa Joan Hart ‘heartbroken’ by death of ‘Clarissa’ co-star
Clarissa Explains It All star Melissa Joan Hart shared a clip from the show on Instagram showing her and Trachtenberg appearing together in a 1992 episode.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of @michelletrachtenberg!!” Hart wrote. “So young, so talented and so sweet! Here is a fun scene from when she was on #ClarissaExplainsItAll. I think this was about 1992 and the episode was an idea I had about babysitting a total nightmare.”
She continued: “But Michelle was nothing like her character and even this young, we got along wonderfully.”
Kevin Perry27 February 2025 08:00
Alyson Hannigan ‘deeply saddened’ by Trachtenberg’s death
Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow, wrote on her Instagram: “I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing. She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends.”
Kevin Perry27 February 2025 07:00
Rosie O’Donnell says Trachtenberg ‘struggled’ before her death
Rosie O’Donnell has claimed her Harriet the Spy co-star Michelle Trachtenberg was “struggling” before her death. Read more here:
Kevin Perry27 February 2025 06:00
Blake Lively mourns ‘fiercely loyal’ Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg: ‘She was electricity’
Blake Lively shared a moving tribute to her Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, who died on Wednesday aged 39.
Trachtenberg played the antagonist Georgina Sparks to Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama and returned to the series several times during its six-season run between 2007 and 2012.
Remembering Trachtenberg’s dedication towards her work and community, Lively mourned her “big and bold” personality.
“This is the first day I met Michelle,” Lively wrote on her Instagram stories, alongside a picture of the two from Gossip Girl.
Shahana Yasmin27 February 2025 04:50
Emma Caulfield remembers Trachtenberg as a ‘bright light’
Emma Caulfield has reacted to Trachtenberg’s death, saying the Buffy Family has “lost a little sister.”
“I’m so sorry your bright light died so young,” said Caulfield, who starred as former demon Anya Jenkins in the hit drama series. “Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You are loved.”
Inga Parkel27 February 2025 04:01
Blake Lively mourns loss of ‘fiercely loyal’ Trachtenberg
Gossip Girl alum Blake Lively posted a moving tribute to Trachtenberg, writing that “the world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle”.
“This is the first day I met Michelle,” Lively wrote, with a picture of her and Trachtenberg on the set of Gossip Girl.
“She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.
“And she always had yummy caramel smelling lip gloss because she didn’t just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lip gloss because she cared about the sweet details.”
Shahana Yasmin27 February 2025 03:25
WATCH: Resurfaced 1996 Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O’Donnell interview
Inga Parkel27 February 2025 02:00
.jpeg?width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800 "Trump live updates: Mexico, Canada tariffs will take effect on March 4 and levy on China will double – UK Times")
