"Thank you for Georgina" - Gossip Girl cast remembers Michelle Trachtenberg after her death

Michelle Trachtenberg of Gossip Girl fame has passed away. The news of the actress’ death broke on February 26. ABC News reported that Trachtenberg was found by her mother early in the morning on February 26 in her New York City apartment.

A police source reported to ABC News that Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant, complications from which may have led to her death. Her family's representative made a statement quoted by BBC, confirming her death and requesting privacy. However, as of the writing of this article, neither the police nor Trachtenberg’s family have made a statement about the cause of the actress’ death.

Michelle Trachtenberg’s fans and famous colleagues reacted in shock to the news of the 39-year-old’s death. Trachtenberg had never revealed her health struggles publicly, and the world was taken aback by the young actress’ sudden death.

Gossip Girl stars bid farewell to Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle Trachtenberg was best known for her role in Gossip Girl, which surveyed Manhattan’s elite teenagers and their interpersonal dramas. Josh Schwartz, the co-creator of the CW drama series, took to Instagram to mourn Trachtenberg’s death. Acknowledging Trachtenberg’s impact on the series, Schwartz wrote,

“RIP Michelle. Thank you for Georgina. You will be missed but not forgotten.”

Blake Lively, who led the Gossip Girl cast as Serena van der Woodsen penned a lengthy tribute to Trachtenberg on Instagram. She shared Trachtenberg's vibrant personality and added personal anecdotes. Sharing an image of her alongside Trachtenberg, Lively wrote,

“This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she enters a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%. She laughed the fullest at someone's joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself. And she always had yummy caramel smelling lipgloss on because she didn’t just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details.”

Lively continued,

“She was a kind person, through and through…The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.”

Chase Crawford, who played Nate Archibald in the series posted images of himself with Trachtenberg. Remembering the late actress, Crawford wrote,

“Michelle was one of a kind. I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it. She was a force of nature and just so so unapologetically funny and magnetic.. remembering those years with a big smile. Just a terrible loss. Love you”

Ed Westwick who played the character of Chuck Bass, paid a tribute to Trachtenberg on Instagram. He wrote,

“So sad to hear of the passing of @MichelleTrachtenberg sending prayers.”

Joshua Safran, who wrote for Gossip Girl, shared his experience working with Trachtenberg. He wrote in a long thread on X,

"It was an honor and joy to write for Michelle for so many years...Georgina unlocked something in me in which writing her was the easiest thing I'd done...She had such a clear voice as an actor. You heard her as you typed. Long live Georgina Sparks, and the brilliant woman who gave her the fire. You will be forever missed. xoxo"

Actors who worked on HBO Max’s 2021 Gossip Girl revival, also chipped in with their tributes. Trachtenberg had a short stint in the second season of the revival. Azhy Robertson, who played Milo Sparks, Trachtenberg’s character’s son, wrote,

“Sad to hear this news. We really lost someone special.”

Grace Duah, also in Season 2 of the Gossip Girl revival, wrote alongside an image of Trachtenberg,

“xoxo princess”

Michelle Trachtenberg gained popularity for her early 2000s role as Sarah Michelle Geller’s character’s sister, Dawn in cult show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She will be remembered for winning hearts as Harriet in Harriet the Spy, and in 2005’s Ice Princess.