--- title: Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at 39 description: The actor starred in Harriet the Spy as well as later stints on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. canonical: https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-02-26T18:37:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T19:49:45.000Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at 39 og:description: The actor starred in Harriet the Spy as well as later stints on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. og:url: https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a02f0f5a5eb37c/6998c46947fe51c59655b785/Michelle-Trachtenberg.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Michelle-Trachtenberg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at 39 twitter:description: The actor starred in Harriet the Spy as well as later stints on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a02f0f5a5eb37c/6998c46947fe51c59655b785/Michelle-Trachtenberg.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Michelle Trachtenberg, Star of _Harriet the Spy_ and _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, Dies at 39  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Updated: Jan 19, 2026 7:49 PM UTCPublished: Feb 26, 2025 6:37 PM UTC  Michelle Trachtenberg in in Santa Monica, Calif. in Jan. 2015. Michelle Trachtenberg in in Santa Monica, Calif. in Jan. 2015.Omar Vega—Invision/AP  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Updated: Jan 19, 2026 7:49 PM UTCPublished: Feb 26, 2025 6:37 PM UTC Michelle Trachtenberg has died at the age of 39\. The actor, who was best known for her breakout role on Nickelodeon's _Harriet the Spy_ as well as later stints on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and _Gossip Girl_, was reportedly found dead Wednesday in her New York City apartment by her mother just after 8 a.m. local time. The news arrives after Trachtenberg [reportedly underwent a liver transplant](https://abc11.com/post/actress-michelle-trachtenberg-known-roles-harriet-spy-gossip-girl-dead-39/15956952/) and may have been experiencing complications. In the year leading up to her death, she had shared a series of troubling posts on Instagram that prompted fans to express concern over her appearance. Trachtenberg’s family objected to an autopsy, which the medical examiner’s office honored, according to the Associated Press. The cause and manner of her death are both listed as undetermined. Trachtenberg, who was born in New York, starred as a child in the 1996 adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh's children's novel _Harriet the Spy_ and the Nickelodeon sitcom _The Adventures of Pete & Pete_. She also appeared in popular children's television programs including _Clarissa Explains It All_, _Blues Clues_, and _Reading Rainbow_, as well as adult dramas like _Law & Order_ and _All My Children_. From 2000 to 2003 she played Dawn, the younger sister of Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for TV Sidekick for her performance. In 2021, she added her voice to those [accusing that show's creator, Joss Whedon](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/michelle-trachtenberg-says-joss-whedon-was-not-allowed-to-be-alone-with-her-on-buffy-4132256/), of [inappropriate behavior](https://time.com/5943177/britney-spears-joss-whedon-feminism/). She said that he was not allowed to be in a room alone with her and called his behavior "Not. Appropriate." Following _Buffy_, Trachtenberg landed the role of Georgina Sparks on the original _Gossip Girl_ in 2008, again receiving a Teen Choice Award nomination, this time for TV Villain. She reprised the role as in the 2021 reboot for HBO Max in what would be her final performance. In between those series, she would make many TV guest appearances, including on _Weeds, Criminal Minds_, and _NCIS: Los Angeles_. Her death prompted an outpouring of love and remembrances on social media, particularly from millennials who grew up alongside her, holding special attachments to the films and shows she appeared in which were formative to that generation. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/"},"headline":"Michelle Trachtenberg, Star of Harriet the Spy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dies at 39","datePublished":"2025-02-26T18:37:08.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T19:49:45.000Z","description":"The actor starred in Harriet the Spy as well as later stints on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.","url":"https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/","keywords":["remembrance","Brief","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a02f0f5a5eb37c/6998c46947fe51c59655b785/Michelle-Trachtenberg.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52a02f0f5a5eb37c/6998c46947fe51c59655b785/Michelle-Trachtenberg.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Michelle-Trachtenberg","caption":"Michelle Trachtenberg in in Santa Monica, Calif. in Jan. 2015.","creditText":"Omar Vega—Invision/AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/remembrance/","name":"remembrance"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7261976/michelle-trachtenberg-dies/","name":"Michelle Trachtenberg, Star of Harriet the Spy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dies at 39"}}]}] ```