Michelle Trachtenberg may have been killed after her body rejected a liver transplant, with the star’s mother seeing her just hours before her tragic death.
The Buffy and Gossip Girl star was found dead by her mother about 8am on Wednesday in her apartment near Columbus Circle in New York City.
She died of natural causes, likely related to a liver transplant she had in the months before her death that her body may have rejected, according to several reports.
Trachtenberg, 39, tried to soldier on in her last days, last going out to dinner last Thursday night when she dined at Sartiano’s restaurant in SoHo.
But workers there DailyMail.com that Trachtenberg was so sick she could barely walk down a flight of stairs and appeared gaunt and sickly.
She posted Instagram flashbacks to old times before her health battle, and stayed close with her mother Lana Trachtenberg.
Lana saw her daughter for the last time about 10pm on Tuesday when she said goodnight, about 10 hours before her death, according to TMZ.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s mother, Lana Trachtenberg, saw her for the last time just 10 hours before her death, which was potentially after he body rejected a live transplant
Michelle Trachtenberg was ‘struggling’ and ‘really sick’ prior to her shock death at 39, according to latest reports; Seen in an Instagram photo on January 26
Medical Examiner arrives at the NYC apartment building where actress Michelle Trachtenberg died
The actress insisted she was ‘happy and healthy’ online, but ‘told friends she was struggling’ and was ‘really down emotionally’ in the year before her death.
‘She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling,’ one said, stating she looked ‘pale, gaunt’ and ‘very thin.’
Police said there is no foul play suspected in her death.
‘Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing,’ the NYPD said.
Trachtenberg’s gaunt appearance stunned staff at Sartiano’s restaurant in SoHo, New York.
It was Thursday February 20, less than a week before the tragic Gossip Girl star was found dead by her mother in her Manhattan apartment.
‘She looked really unwell, just like very sickly,’ a worker said on Wednesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
‘She was thin, like tiny, she couldn’t walk down the stairs. She was not in a great mood, it wasn’t the best impression.’
‘It’s spooky because she was in here just last week on Thursday night,’ the worker added.
‘We only just found out about (her death) a few hours ago and it’s really sad. She was just with one other person, a woman who was really nice.’
Restaurant owner Scott Sartiano issued a moving tribute to the star on Wednesday evening, less than a week after she was last seen at the downtown hotspot with one other woman.
The actress ‘told friends she was struggling’ and was ‘really down emotionally’ in the year prior to her death, a source told People; pictured November 2, 2023 in Los Angeles
‘She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling,’ the insider added, stating she looked ‘pale, gaunt’ and ‘very thin’; pictured February 9, 2024
Meanwhile a restaurant worker revealed to DailyMail.com that Trachtenberg was so sick during her final outing that she could barely walk down a flight of restaurant stairs; seen February 12
‘Many years of happy memories,’ Sartiano wrote alongside a picture of he and Trachtenberg together.
‘Rest in Peace Michelle.’ Sartiano added a broken heart emoji alongside the photo and caption.
While police are yet to confirm her cause of death, sources say Trachtenberg died of natural causes.
She recently underwent a liver transplant, friends of the star told TMZ.
Her mother Lana discovered her body in her $7,500-a-month apartment in Columbus Circle on Wednesday at 8am.
NYPD officials said an autopsy would be performed.
In January 2024, she slammed speculation that she was in poor health after some of her followers expressed worry over her seemingly ‘thinning hair’ and ‘yellow eyes’
She also reminded the woman that she was 38 not 14 anymore, before inquiring in what way she looked unwell
The Gossip Girl star was found dead by her mother on Wednesday morning in her New York City apartment. Trachtenberg died of natural causes and may have suffered complications following a liver transplant; seen in 2015
Police told DailyMail.com that there is no foul play suspected in her death; seen in 2010
Last year, Trachtenberg took to Instagram to shoot down speculation about her gaunt appearance.
She denied rumors she had undergone cosmetic surgery and added that she was ‘happy and healthy.’
Trachtenberg’s final post, shared on Instagram earlier this month, saw the actress look frail while posing for a selfie in front of a hedge.
Patients like Trachtenberg may receive a liver transplant after damaging the vital organ with excessive drinking.
Alcoholics who have been given a transplant must abstain from drinking afterwards.
But liver transplants can also cause potentially deadly complications even for people who stick to the rules afterwards.
As is the case with any other transplant, organ recipients must take powerful immunosuppressant drugs every day for the rest of their lives to stop their body rejecting the new organ.
Trachtenberg played fan favorite villain Georgina Sparks in the original Gossip Girl series between 2008 and 2012.
Her former Gossip Girl costar Blake Lively shared a touching tribute to her Instagram Stories, calling Trachtenberg ‘fiercely loyal,’ ‘kind,’ and ‘deeply sensitive’ following her death.
Her breakout role came as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl
Trachtenberg pictured with her former Gossip Girl costar Blake Lively
Lively shared a touching tribute to her Instagram Stories, calling Trachtenberg ‘fiercely loyal,’ ‘kind,’ and ‘deeply sensitive’
Trachtenberg also appeared in 66 episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer; seen in 2003
Trachtenberg was a child actress who began her career aged just three in Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
Her first big movie role was a child sleuth in 1996’s Harriet the Spy.
The actress became a sci-fi favorite after joining TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2000 as Buffy’s sister.
She had been in talks to appear in a hotly-anticipated reboot at the time of her death.
