WASHINGTON — The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has provided an update on the investigation into the cause of death for Michelle Trachtenberg.
The actress, best known for her roles in “Gossip Girl,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Harriet the Spy” and “EuroTrip,” was found dead Wednesday at the age of 39.
Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. at a 51-story luxury apartment tower in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood where officers found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive,” according to an NYPD statement. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
What was Michelle Trachtenberg’s Cause of Death?
No foul play is suspected in Trachtenberg’s death, police have said. On Thursday, the medical examiner’s office confirmed to multiple media outlets Trachtenberg’s family declined an autopsy, citing religious reasons. As a result, the medical examiner was not able to determine how she died and the cause of death is “undetermined.”
Officials said because there was no foul play suspected, the medical examiner didn’t overrule the family’s objection.
While the official cause of death is “undetermined,” sources previously told multiple media outlets that Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant, and complications from the procedure may have contributed to her passing.
Her death comes a year after she addressed online concerns about her health, responding to fans on Instagram who worried about her appearance, assuring them there were no health issues in January 2024.
Trachtenberg had reportedly been open with friends about her health struggles over the past year, though she never publicly revealed the specifics of her condition.
A photographer and close friend, Amanda de Cadenet, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, recalling Facetime calls she had with Trachtenberg while she was in the hospital.
Initially, she wrote online, “I will not share the details of our conversations over the last 6 months. But you knew that death was a high possibility.”
However, People noted Cadenet later deleted this part of her post.
“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,” her Instagram post now reads. “I’m grateful we got to connect, especially in the last few months. I will always remember you as the young vivacious woman I met when I took this photo of you … Wishing you a peaceful transition sweet friend and may your spirit finally rest.”
