Michelle Trachtenberg, Actress from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Dies at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg, an actress most famous for her role as Dawn Summers on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has tragically passed at 39.

As first reported by the New York Post, Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

ABC News corroborates that police believe the death was due to natural causes; sources say that Trachtenberg had recently received a liver transplant and she may have passed from complications following the procedure.

Authorities do not suspect any foul play at this time. An autopsy will reportedly be conducted to determine the official cause of death.

Born on October 11, 1985, Trachtenberg debuted on TV in the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete and Pete. She joined Buffy The Vampire Slayer in 2000 at age 15 as a series regular. She played Dawn Summers, the previously never-seen little sister of the series’ titular heroine (Sarah Michelle Gellar).

Dawn’s presence was the driving mystery of the show’s fifth season, putting Trachtenberg in the spotlight for ther first major role; she continued on a a series regular in the following sixth and seventh seasons.

While appearing on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Trachtenberg also hosted the Discovery Kids program Truth or Scare, exploring the history of real-life spooky stories a la In Search Of… Trachtenberg’s hosting earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination.

After Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Tratchenberg’s next most famous role was on The CW’s popular drama series Gossip Girl. She played Georgina Sparks, a ruthless young socialite who couldn’t have been more different from the plucky Dawn.

Trachtenberg remained on Gossip Girl throughout the series’ six-season run from 2007 to 2012. She reprised her part as Georgina in the 2021 HBO Max Gossip Girl revival, which is sadly now her final television credit. 

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