Inside Michelle Trachtenberg’s Retreat from Spotlight and Final Days (Excl)

On the morning of February 26, Michelle Trachtenberg was found unconscious and unresponsive at her midtown NYC apartment by her mom, Lana. She was just 39 years old. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” the beloved star’s rep told Us Weekly.

As news of her untimely death spread, it sent shockwaves through Hollywood and among the devoted fans who grew up alongside her. Trachtenberg rose to fame as a child on Nickelodeon shows before playing the lead in 1995’s Harriet the Spy. The millennial icon went on to score memorable roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl. “Michelle had such a significant cultural impact,” a longtime friend tells Us. “People loved her; you’d hang out with her, and it wasn’t like she was crazily famous, but those who loved her were obsessed and would come up and talk to her.”

In recent years, the Brooklyn native had begun to retreat from the spotlight, and fans noted her changing appearance on social media. In a 2024 post, Trachtenberg assured them she was “happy and healthy,” but sources say her health had been deteriorating for some time and confirm she had a liver transplant in the months before she died. “She was very open with those close to her about having the transplant,” says the friend, “but she never went into detail.” (In a statement to Us, NYPD said criminal activity “was not suspected.” On February 27, her cause of death was ruled “undetermined” by the medical examiner after her family objected to an autopsy.)

Trachtenberg — who had been dating film producer Jay Cohen since 2020 — had recently spent a prolonged period of time in the hospital and was released early this year. “The last time I saw her, something felt off,” says an industry insider. “You could sense something was going on. She was really frail and had been sick for a while.” On February 20 — less than a week before she died — the actress was spotted at Soho’s trendy Sartiano’s restaurant with a group of friends. “Something seemed off about her,” echoes an eyewitness. Ariana Rodriguez, a neighbor at Trachtenberg’s apartment building, tells Us she noticed how “svelte” she’d become and that she looked “less and less like herself.”

Famous friends have offered some insight into the final few years of Trachtenberg’s life. “Heartbreaking. I loved her very much,” her Harriet the Spy costar Rosie O’Donnell told Us in a statement. “She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.” In a February 26 Instagram tribute, British photographer and journalist Amanda de Cadenet revealed Trachtenberg had recently FaceTimed her from a hospital bed and was aware she was gravely ill. “Even though you did not look like you, your sweetness and humor were still alive,” de Cadenet wrote. “You knew that death was a high possibility and I am only sorry that the outcome was not a better one.”

Beating the Odds

Trachtenberg was just 3 when she made her acting debut in commercials. She later became a Nickelodeon standout with parts on Clarissa Explains
it All and The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Despite not having any formal training, she had star quality and depth. “I was sort of mature for my years,” Trachtenberg recalled, “and I understood everything that was going on.”

While she seemed to avoid some of the common trappings of child stardom, she experienced behind-the-scenes challenges. She was open about the bullying she endured in school by jealous classmates. “The kids were cruel… I still have scars from being thrown down stairs and slammed into lockers head first,” she wrote in a 2020 Instagram post.

In 2021, when her Buffy costar (and close friend) Sarah Michelle Gellar expressed support for castmate Charisma Carpenter after she accused the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, of on-set abuse, Trachtenberg chimed in, calling Whedon’s behavior “not appropriate” and added that there was a rule on set that he wasn’t “allowed in a room alone with Michelle again.”

Tough Times

In recent years, she became more reclusive. She hosted the true crime series Meet, Marry, Murder in 2021 and did a two-episode stint on the 2022 Gossip Girl reboot, but was largely out of the public eye. “She achieved huge success early on but lost her footing later,” says the longtime friend. “I think she gave up on the fame aspect and didn’t want to be part of Hollywood anymore.”

According to the friend, Trachtenberg’s health problems had been brewing for a while. “She had back issues, and then bone problems and she also fell a few times.” (Trachtenberg appeared on a red carpet with a cane in 2019 and shared a photo of her badly bruised ankle on Instagram in 2021.) “Whenever we spoke, there was something medically wrong,” notes the friend. Adds a source close to the situation: “Michelle was thrown a lot of curveballs with her health, but she did her best not to let it get her down.”

Trachtenberg had recently been hospitalized and had undergone a liver transplant within the last year. Liver failure is generally the result of genetic disorders, cancer, hepatitis or excessive alcohol consumption. If a transplant is required because of alcohol, recipients must abstain from drinking for the rest of their lives. “She did drink, but not excessively in public,” says the longtime friend. “She was never the type to party hard. In the end, she was more of a recluse.”

Trusted Friends

Her inner circle was small. She was close with her mom and older sister, Irene, and a second close friend says Trachtenberg and Cohen had been living together at the time of her death. (He was seen at the Sherman Oaks, California, home that she also shared with her mother on the day she died.) “She loved him a lot,” says the friend.

She remained tight with many of her former costars. “She saw the cast of Buffy the most,” says the friend. (Gellar, says the industry insider, “is devastated” by the loss. “They talked often.”) She also stayed in touch with Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester and Chace Crawford, telling Us in 2020 that she and Meester had recently had dinner together.

Trachtenberg’s friend comedian Abbey Vollman revealed in a February 26 Insta post that they were planning to write a show together, and director Casey Tebo said on X that he’s “doing everything I can” to get a screenplay written by Trachtenberg made. The second friend says the actress was “excited” about the upcoming Hulu Buffy reboot, though she hadn’t signed on. “Michelle was focused on getting her health back on track and had high hopes for the future.”

Big Loss

Those close to her will remember her vibrant spirit and kindness. “She was a lovely human being and a good friend,” says the industry source. “She remembered birthdays, was kind and if she saw something on Instagram, she’d reach out and say something nice.” The second close friend says Trachtenberg loved “writing, shopping, crime shows and her cats,” adding, “Michelle was so proud of everything she did, every acting role.” Trachtenberg’s neighbor Rodriguez adds that she was down-to-earth and friendly. “[Michelle] smiled at everyone in the hallways, and she always said hi,” she tells Us. “I’m so sad that I won’t be seeing her anymore.”

For more on Michelle, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly – on newsstands now.

With reporting by Travis Cronin, Andrea Simpson & Amanda Williams