Michelle Trachtenberg, 39, cause of death finally confirmed two months after Gossip Girl star found in New York apartment
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg died from complications of diabetes mellitus, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has revealed.
The former Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl star’s cause of death was determined following a review of laboratory test results.
Officials confirmed the 39-year-old died of natural causes, according to a statement released yesterday.
Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her midtown Manhattan apartment on February 26 this year.
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The medical examiner’s findings come nearly two months after her death, which shocked fans and the entertainment industry.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene after her mother discovered her and called emergency services. No foul play was suspected in her death, police sources said.
Trachtenberg had been living in a luxury apartment building near Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
In January, just a month before her death, the actress had responded to fans’ concerns about her appearance on social media.
“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance,” she wrote on Instagram. “I have never had plastic surgery. I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.”
There had been reports that prior to her death, Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant.
The coroner’s office initially said the cause of death would remain undetermined because the family had requested no autopsy be conducted due to religious reasons.
The medical examiner’s office would automatically perform an autopsy if foul play was suspected, but as there was none, they respected the family’s wishes.
Instead, officials relied on toxicology and laboratory test results to determine the cause of death.
It was not immediately clear whether Trachtenberg had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
“The family requests privacy for their loss,” Trachtenberg’s representative, Gary Mantoosh, said in a statement at the time of her death.
Trachtenberg was a lifelong actor who began her career at just three years old, appearing in television commercials.
She gained early recognition with a recurring role as Lily Montgomery on the soap opera All My Children.
Her breakout film role came in 1996 when she starred as the title character in Harriet the Spy.
In 2000, she joined the cult fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Dawn Summers, the younger sister to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character.
She later appeared in films including EuroTrip and Disney’s Ice Princess.
From 2008, she portrayed the manipulative Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, becoming one of her most recognisable roles.
Trachtenberg’s later television work included guest appearances on popular series such as House, Weeds, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Sleepy Hollow.
She also lent her voice to animated projects, including Robot Chicken.
Most recently, she had reprised her role as Georgina Sparks in Max’s Gossip Girl sequel series in 2023.
The creators and showrunners for Buffy the Vampire Slayer said in a statement that Trachtenberg “was a delight to have on set and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family.”