- Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg passed away at the age of 39
- Trachtenberg was found deceased in her New York apartment in February 2025
- Her cause of death was revealed on 16 April
The cause of death for Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg has been revealed. On 16 April, the reason for her passing was confirmed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s office. Tragically, Trachtenberg, 39, passed away in February 2025.
She was found by her mother in her New York City apartment and passed on 26 February. Stars mourned the 39-year-old, who had a successful career as an actress. Her starring roles include Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Jenny in Eurotrip.
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Now, almost two months after her passing, her cause of death has been revealed. Here, we will break it down.
What was the cause of death of Michelle Trachtenberg?
To People, The Office of the New York City Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of Trachtenberg’s death. She died of natural causes due to complications associated with diabetes mellitus.
In short, diabetes mellitus occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, causing glucose levels to rise.
Following the announcement, a spokesperson for the office stated that the conclusion came after a toxicology report was completed.
However, after her death, it was revealed that her family allegedly objected to an autopsy, which could have led officials to rule her death as undetermined.
Speculation about Michelle Trachtenberg and her liver transplant
Additionally, people speculated after news broke that the actress had a liver transplant shortly before her death. Consequently, many thought she may have suffered complications from the procedure.
Furthermore, the public continued to question Trachtenberg’s health. In January 2024, she spoke out against online commenters. On her Instagram, she condemned fans who said she looked “sick” and asked what was wrong with her.
She said, “Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition, no problems. Why do you have to hate? Get a calendar.”
Trachtenberg spoke out against the Buffy creator
Aside from one occasion, Trachtenberg avoided speaking publicly about her health struggles. Nevertheless, in 2021, she defended her Buffy co-stars who spoke out against show creator Joss Whedon.
Meanwhile, Charisma Carpenter, 54, alleged that Whedon created an unstable work environment. Additionally, she called him “cruel” in a 2021 statement. Notably, Carpenter played a major role in the Buffyverse, starring on Buffy from 1997 until 1999 and on Angel from 1999 until 2004.
Surprisingly, Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, publicly supported Carpenter. Consequently, Trachtenberg decided to speak her truth.
Subsequently, Trachtenberg reposted Gellar’s message against Whedon and added, “Thank you @sarahmgellar for saying this. I am brave enough now as a 35-year-old woman….To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behavior….very. Not. Appropriate.”
Finally, before her passing, Trachtenberg took on her last acting role in a season 2 episode of the HBO Gossip Girl reboot.
