Actress Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the age of 39.

In a statement released by the New York Police Department on Wednesday, 26 February, her mother, Lana Trachtenberg, found her daughter lying unconscious in her New York City apartment.

“[Emergency Medical Services] responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased,” the statement read. “Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.”

Sources close to Trachtenberg claim that she may have suffered complications following a recent liver transplant.

Trachtenberg began her acting career as a child star in the 1990s, appearing in Nickelodeon productions such as “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” and “Harriet The Spy”.

In 2000, she joined the cast of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, playing the role of Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn Summers. She also famously portrayed Georgina Sparks on the hit teen drama, “Gossip Girl”.

Tributes to Trachtenberg have poured in from fans and celebrities, with “Gossip Girl” co-star James Marsters writing on Twitter/X: “We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny and a very talented person.

“She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her.”

Image Credit: Source