Michelle Trachtenberg, of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Gossip Girl,’ dies at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her roles as the spirited younger sister Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, has died at 39.

Trachtenberg was found deceased on Wednesday around 8 a.m. at her apartment in Manhattan’s One Columbus Place, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). The actress had recently undergone a liver transplant and may have been experiencing complications, according to ABC News. She is believed to have died of natural causes.

Trachtenberg appeared in more than 50 films and television series over a career that began in childhood and spanned three decades. One of her most notable roles was as Dawn Summers in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where she appeared from 2000 to 2003.

“My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person,” said Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star James Marsters. “She died much too young and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her.”

She also gained recognition as the manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, where she starred from 2007 until the drama series concluded in 2012.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing,” Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage expressed in a statement to NBC News. “Michelle was so funny, kind, and talented. Her portrayal of Georgina Sparks was an iconic fan favorite and grew from a one-season villain to a beloved character who returned over the course of six seasons.”

Born on October 11, 1985, in New York City, Trachtenberg began acting at the age of three, appearing in commercials before landing her first credited role on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete, according to Variety.

Her early success in Harriet the Spy, alongside Rosie O’Donnell, marked her as a rising talent, and she continued to build a diverse résumé with roles in both children’s programming and adult dramas, including appearances on Law & Order and All My Children.

“Heartbreaking,” O’Donnell, 62, said in a statement to Us Weekly. “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”

In recent years, Trachtenberg had faced public concern over her health, responding to fans’ comments on social media in January 2024 by asserting she was “happy and healthy.” She is survived by her parents, Michael and Lana, and her sister, Irene.