Michelle Trachtenberg shaped the childhoods of many after rising to fame as a child star in the 1990s and 2000s. After the Gossip Girl alum’s sudden death in February 2025, fans have questions about the family life of the American actress.

The Ice Princess star did not have any children.

Michelle was the second daughter born to and . She has an older sister named Trachtenberg.

The Eurotrip star was open about her Russian heritage, sharing that her mother was born there and the language was frequently spoken in their home.

When she portrayed Marina Oswald, the wife of John F. Kennedy’s assassin, in the TV movie Killing Kennedy in 2013, she relied heavily on her mother, as her character spoke Russian throughout much of the film.

“Before I’d signed on to it, [the script] was predominantly all in Russian,” she told Fox News in November 2013, explaining that some English was later added to the film. “My mom actually was my translator and broke down the entire script for me.”

She later told Collider that her background was a major reason she landed the role. “I remember calling my agents and saying, ‘Well, you know that I speak fluent Russian, right?’ They were like, ‘Oh, yeah! You speak Russian!’” she explained that same month. “And I think Nat Geo was actually like, ‘There is no way! Michelle Trachtenberg speaks Russian?!’ I basically said, ‘Okay, you don’t know this about me, so let me know it to you.’ I proved it and earned the job.”

The 17 Again actress was in a long-term relationship with talent agent Jay Cohen. The pair were first linked in 2020, but it was believed that they met earlier as Michelle was signed to Gersh in 2014, where Jay is partner and head of film finance and distribution.

Michelle made the relationship Instagram official in February 2023 when she posted a smiling Valentine’s Day selfie of them together.

One of her last posts before her death was a tribute dedicated to Jay on February 14, 2025. “Happy Valentine’s Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face,” Michelle captioned the photo.

Michelle was 39 years old when she was found “unconscious and unresponsive” by officers responding to a 911 call at 1 Columbus Place in New York City around 8:00 a.m. on February 26, 2025.

“EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased. Criminality is not suspected,” a spokesperson for the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information for the New York Police Department confirmed to In Touch via a statement. Michelle’s death was not initially investigated as suspicious, however, the investigation remains ongoing, according to the statement. An autopsy will confirm the cause of death.

Michelle’s mother was the one to discover her in her New York City apartment, per ABC7. Sources also shared with the outlet that the Disney alum recently underwent a liver transplant and possibly experienced complications as a result of the surgery.