- Blake Lively mourned actress Michelle Trachtenberg on Instagram
- Trachtenberg passed away on 26 February in her home
- Lively and Trachtenberg were co-stars on Gossip Girl
In a lengthy story, Blake Lively took to Instagram to mourn her Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg. Lively and Trachtenberg played enemies Serena van Der Woodsen and Georgina Sparks on the show. The actress sadly passed away on 26 February at the age of 39. Actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl, and Trachtenberg’s other co-stars have paid tribute to her.
ABC News reported that just after 8 am on 26 February, the actress was found dead by her mother in her New York City apartment. Law enforcement say they are not treating her death as suspicious. The news outlet also noted that the actress had recently undergone a liver transplant which may’ve caused complications and contributed to her passing, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Read More: Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy Star, Passes At 39
Many fans were in shock having known Trachtenberg from her work as a child star. The actress made her acting debut in the second season of Law & Order but had her breakthrough role in Harriet the Spy which she starred in alongside Rosie O’Donnell.
Thanks to her remarkable career, many people came to love the actress and paid their tributes to her on social media, including Lively. But what did she say about Trachtenberg?
What did Blake Lively say about Michelle Trachtenberg?
Lively posted a tribute to Trachtenberg on her Instagram Stories. She wrote a long message over a picture of the two in character on Gossip Girl.
The statement starts with Lively recalling the first day she met Trachtenberg. The character of Georgina Sparks made her debut in season one episode 15, Desperately Seeking Serena.
She continues, “You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed to the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head-on when she felt something was wrong, and 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 those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”
Making everyone comfortable
The Gossip Girl star goes on to say how Trachtenberg wanted to make everything a “nice experience” for people around her, which included wearing her “caramel-smelling lip gloss” so she’d smell nice. After that, she reflects on how people take “seeing an old friend for granted”.
Lively concludes by urging fans to “hold those you love” close. She also calls her co-star “deeply sensitive” and remarks that she had a “huge heart” that lives on in her legacy.
Did the internet react to Lively’s tribute?
Since Lively is currently involved in a controversial legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, she is the talk of the internet for other reasons. However, that didn’t stop X users commenting on her tribute to the late Trachtenberg.
Many people were quick to accuse the 37-year-old actress of using Trachtenberg’s passing for her benefit. Or maybe she’s just mourning?
Fans think Trachtenberg didn’t ‘like’ Lively
One user alleged that Trachtenberg “spoke poorly of Blake” so her mourning the actress was weird.
Michelle always spoke very poorly of Blake, but anything to try to help her reputation I guess
— Kel Bel (@notkelbel) February 27, 2025
However, another user disagreed, saying that despite her current reputation Lively had “a right to mourn” her friend.
Whatever your thoughts are on Blake Lively, she has a right to mourn.
— βοΈππ¬π«π€ ππ¬ππ« ππ¦π©π³π’π―π¦πΊπ¨πΎπ¬π·π΄ββ οΈ (@LongJoanSilver) February 27, 2025
A fan of both actresses remarked they made “a good pair”. In scenes with Trachtenberg and Lively especially in season one of Gossip Girl, you can see genuine chemistry.
Blake Lively and Michelle Trachtenberg
— Humour for you (@Humourforyou_) February 27, 2025
made a good pair.We will miss that pairππ
Blake Lively was paying her tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg like everyone else
Speaking candidly, another user pointed out regardless of her ongoing legal battle, Lively’s decision to “speak out” suggests she is “prioritizing a heartfelt tribute” to Trachtenberg.
The fact that Lively, embroiled in her own legal dispute with Justin Baldoni, has chosen to speak out suggests that her bond with Trachtenberg transcended the public tensions of her recent life, prioritising a heartfelt tribute.
— CreaTuRealidad (@jhondrl) February 27, 2025
Whatever you think about Lively, her ongoing legal troubles do not mean she can’t mourn a friend or co-star. Whether the two were close friends isn’t something that fans know, so speculating while people are mourning doesn’t do anything to help.
