Multiple reports say that actor Michelle Trachtenberg, who was found dead Wednesday in her New York City apartment, had undergone a liver transplant for an unknown condition.
ABC, TMZ and New York Post are reporting that the 39-year-old TV actor, best known for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” recently had a liver transplant and may have suffered complications. She was found dead in her apartment near Columbus Circle just after 8 a.m. by her mother, ABC also reported.
The New York Police Department confirmed to the Post that Trachtenberg was found “unconscious and unresponsive” by police and pronounced dead by EMS workers. Police also said that her death is not deemed suspicious and the city medical examiner will determine the cause.
In the year leading up to her death, Trachtenberg sparked concerns online from fans who were worried about her health due to her appearing gaunt and frail in photos she shared on Instagram with her 800,000 followers. They noted what appeared to be a startling weight loss or wondered if she was on drugs or had cosmetic surgery.
In one comment on her Instagram, someone also expressed concern for the “yellow in your eyes,” People reported. Yellow in the eyes is a common sign of jaundice, a liver-related condition in which a person suffers an unhealthy build-up of a chemical called bilirubin in the organ, according to WebMD.
In January 2024, the “Gossip Girl” alum posted a selfie with “Spy Kids” star Alexa PenaVega after a day at the hair salon. After fans flooded her comments section with expressions of concern, she responded: “Explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.”
In another January 2024 post, Trachtenberg, dressed in a black T-shirt with a snake graphic on the front, wrote: “Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have to hate?”
In yet another post, Trachtenberg addressed speculation that she had undergone plastic surgery, due to the view that her cheeks appeared sunken, People also reported. “I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance,” Trachtenberg also said. “I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.”
Trachtenberg’s challenge to “haters” could be seen as a natural response to someone who had previously opened up to fans about being the victim of bullying in her adolescent years. Even though she enjoyed success as a working child and teen actor, she admitted in a 2020 Valentine’s Day post that she still bore “scars” from past bullying, according to People.
“The kids were cruel. There is no need to harp on the past,” she wrote, according to People. “But I still have scars from being thrown down stairs and slammed into lockers head first.”
On Wednesday, Trachtenberg’s Instagram posts were filled with expressions of sadness and grief from people writing, “RIP,” “May you fly high in the arms of Jesus” and “Bless your heart. You will be missed love.”
But others noted that it may have turned out that they were right to be concerned about her health. “Well, turns out she looked ill cause she was. R.I.P,” someone write. Another said: “I wish she had just been honest and told us she was sick. RIP.”
Trachtenberg’s career in movies and television began when she was a child, amassing a long list of credits that endeared her to a generation of fans, according to the New York Times.
Born in New York City in 1985, Trachtenberg’s first credited role came at the age of 9 on the classic 1990s Nickelodeon series “The Adventures of Pete and Pete,” in which she portrayed gal-pal Nona F. Mecklenberg, the New York Post said. She continued to star in a variety of children’s movies and shows, making her film debut in 1996’s “Harriet the Spy,” in which she played the title character.
Trachtenberg also portrayed Casey Carlyle, the heroine in the 2005 figure-skating movie “Ice Princess.” Other credits included the 2004 raunchy teen comedy “Eurotrip” and the 2009 comedy “17 Again,” which also starred Zac Efron and Matthew Perry.