Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for her role in Gossip Girl, dies at 39: what was the cause of death?

Police in New York City have announced the death of actress Michelle Trachtenberg, 39 after authorities found her in her apartment.

Best known for her roles in ‘Gossip Girl,’ as villain Georgina Sparks, as Harriet in the 1996 film adaption of ‘Harriet the Spy’ and as Casey in Disney’s ‘Ice Princess’, where she played a much more loveable character as an inspiring ice skater, Trachtenberg was a feature of the mid-2000s movie and television scene.

In more recent years, she had turned to the television world, to play Georgina Sparks once again, in the HBO reboot of ‘Gossip Girl.’ In 2024, People Magazine published an article on the relationship status of each of the cast members, and Trachtenberg was said to be dating talent agent Jay Cohen, with the couple’s romance beginning in 2020.

Very little is known so far about the actress' tragic death

ABC7 reported that she was found at around 8:30 am local time in Columbus Circle. However, no information on the cause of death has been released to the public. The same outlet mentioned that the actress had received a liver transplant and speculated that the death could have been the result of a complication. If autopsy shows this to be the case, it may explain recent changes to her appearance that had led to concern among fans on social media.

*This is a developing story

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