Michelle Trachtenberg died of complications from diabetes, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement released Wednesday.
The actress, who was known for her roles on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” was found unresponsive at her Manhattan apartment on Feb. 26. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
The medical examiner did not conduct an autopsy at her family’s request: The cause of death was determined by laboratory results.
NBC News reported at the time of her death that she had recently received a liver transplant.
The former child star, whose films included “Harriet the Spy,” “Inspector Gadget” and “Ice Princess,” began acting in commercials at the age of three. She joined “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in Season 5 as star Sarah Michelle Gellar’s little sister Dawn, who was frequently targeted by the show’s many villains.
She went on to play Georgina Sparks on the CW series “Gossip Girl,” reprising the role in the brief 2021 revival of the same name.
After her death, Trachtenberg was remembered fondly by her “Buffy” costars: Gellar wrote, “I love you. I will always love you” and quoted one of the most moving lines of dialogue from the series, “The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it.”
“I’m so sorry your bright light died so young,” added Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins on the series. “Our ‘Buffy’ family lost a little sister today … Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved.”
James Marsters, who played vampire Spike, remembered her on his Instagram as “a beautiful soul” who was was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny and a very talented person.
Blake Lively paid tribute to her “Gossip Girl” co-star, writing on Instagram, “You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work and she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes.”
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