Michelle Trachtenberg's Friend Says the 'Gossip Girl' Alum 'Knew Death Was a Possibility'
, a friend of Michelle Trachtenberg, opened up about her final conversations with the actress and admitted the Gossip Girl alum knew that “death was a high possibility.”
“Sweetheart Michelle. What sad news this morning to wake up to. It feels weird and awful to be posting this, but I want to acknowledge your death because I cared about you,” Amanda, 52, wrote via social media on Wednesday, February 26, alongside a photo of a young Michelle in a pink dress. “I will always remember you as the young vivacious woman I met when I took this photo of you …”
Part of the caption has since been amended, as it previously included sensitive details about the Gossip Girl alum’s recent hospitalization.
“Seeing your face from the hospital bed when we FaceTimed recently, even though you did not look like you, your sweetness and humor were still alive,” she wrote in a since-deleted caption, captured by People. “I will not share the details of our conversations over the last 6 months. But you knew that death was a high possibility.”
The media personality and photographer concluded her statement by wishing her friend a “peaceful transition,” adding, “I am only sorry that the outcome was not a better one.”
In Touch confirmed Michelle 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 Wednesday, February 26. She was 39 years old.
“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. The Harriet the Spy star’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.
Sources confirmed to multiple outlets that Michelle had undergone a liver transplant surgery prior to her death. An insider told the New York Post that her body may have rejected the organ.
Tributes have poured in for the former child actor, with her Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar being one of the latest to share her condolences.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you,” Sarah, 47, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, February 27, quoting from the season 5 finale episode of Buffy in which Buffy sacrifices herself for Dawn. “The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live … for you.”
Michelle’s appearance previously sparked concerns from fans about her health after she shared a photo on February 12, with her face appearing somewhat gaunt and pale. “Are you sick?!” one fan asked in the comments, while another wrote, “You seem unwell. I wish you the best.”
Michelle previously clapped back to the concerns in January 2024, where several fans commented that her eyes looked somewhat yellow.
“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy,” she wrote in the comment section. “Check yourself haters.”