The circumstances surrounding Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic and untimely passing at the age of 39 may remain unanswered.
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The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE on Thursday that the actress’s cause of death has been classified as “undetermined.” According to the outlet, the ruling was influenced by the family’s decision to decline an autopsy, per the medical examiner’s office.
According to the New York Police Department, Trachtenberg was discovered “unconscious and unresponsive” in her Manhattan apartment on Wednesday morning. Authorities arrived at the scene and confirmed that the actress had passed away.
Per ABC News, citing police sources, Trachtenberg was in the process of recovering from a liver transplant at the time of her death. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star was reportedly found unresponsive in her apartment by her mother.
“She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling,” an alleged insider told PEOPLE. “She was “pale, gaunt, very thin, and dealing with health issues.”
Michelle Trachtenberg Pushed Back at Fans Comments on Her Appearance in Recent Months
The actress never disclosed any health issues publicly. However, in January 2024, she addressed critics who commented on her appearance after she posted a selfie on Instagram.
“Fun fact. This is my face,” the Gossip Girl star wrote in alongside a selfie. “Not malnutrition, no problems. Why do you have to hate? Get a calendar,” she added.
“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery, I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,” Trachtenberg added in another Instagram post on Jan. 18, 2024.
Michelle Trachtenberg rose to fame through her standout roles as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her career breakthrough came in 1996 when she starred as the titular character in Harriet the Spy, sharing the screen with Rosie O’Donnell and J. Smith-Cameron.
She also appeared in EuroTrip, 17 Again, and Ice Princess. Her most recent role was in the 2023 Gossip Girl reboot, where she returned to portray her character in two episodes.
Meanwhile, in a statement to Us Weekly, Trachtenberg‘s Harriet the Spy co-star Rosie O’Donnell said her death was “heartbreaking.”
“I loved her very much,” O’Donnell added. “She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Buffy, also honored her late Buffy co-star Michelle with a touching Instagram post. She shared a photo carousel from their time on the show and added a caption quoting the season 5 finale, where Buffy sacrifices herself for Dawn.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you, I will always love you,” Gellar wrote to Trachtenberg. “The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave, I will live… for you,” she added.