What led to Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg's death? Here's what happened in her final months

The US star Michelle Trachtenberg, who garnered popularity in her early childhood with her role in the 1996 movie ‘Harriet the Spy,’ died at the age of 39 on Wednesday. She was popular as a child actress in the 1900s and 2000s. She was deeply admired and famous for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

According to Manhattan police, Trachtenberg was 'unconscious and unresponsive' when they arrived at an emergency call on Wednesday morning. The ‘Gossip Girl’ actress suffered a cardiac arrest in her apartment in New York City. About 8 a.m., her mother discovered her, as per a report.

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What happened in the final moments before her death?

Michelle Trachtenberg's health issues caused her to be really sick and down emotionally before she passed away. She was apparently struggling both physically and mentally in the year before she passed away.

Was Michelle open about her health struggles?

According to the report, "she told friends she was struggling and was incredibly ill."

Prior to her passing, the 39-year-old actress's friends and followers observed that she appeared "pale, gaunt," and "very thin." In a similar vein, Trachtenberg's neighbor told Us Weekly that she had lost her individuality and had become "svelte" over the past few months.

Reportedly, the actress passed away naturally.

According to Page Six, Trachtenberg had just had a liver transplant and may have passed away as a result of surgical complications within the previous 12 months.

How did fans and friends react to her passing?

There were numerous tributes to the late actress on Wednesday, including De Cadenet's. The celebrity was remembered by her fellow Upper East Siders Blake Lively and Ed Westwick, her co-actor Rosie O'Donnell from "Harriet the Spy," and her co-stars James Marsters and Alyson Hannigan from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

When Trachtenberg shared a selfie in January 2024 that showed a significant change in appearance, her fans became alarmed.

Messages about her "sick" appearance, highlighting her thin figure and thinning hair, were all over her comment section.

Trachtenberg, however, defended her appearance at the time and chastised the "haters" for making physical remarks.

She replied to one commenter, "Tell me how I look sick." "Did you misplace a calendar and fail to recognize that I'm not 14? My age is 38. It's very unfortunate that you made such a comment, as reported by Page Six.

Trachtenberg attacked the "haters" for their remarks about her appearance and defended her appearance.

In two follow-up posts, she addressed the criticism by claiming that she was content and healthy and that she had never had plastic surgery.

FAQs

What health issues did Michelle Trachtenberg face?
She reportedly had a liver transplant within the last year and had been dealing with undisclosed medical issues.

Did Michelle express any concerns about her health?
Yes, she insisted she was healthy and happy, despite fans' concerns about her recent social media posts.