Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Matthieu Blazy
    • Two-Piece Outfit Formulas
    • Witchy Perfumes
    • The Smart Spend
    • Being Black at Bravo
    1. Celebrity

    'Gossip Girl' Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at 39

    The actress was known for her role in the CW drama as well as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 26 February 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Michelle Trachtenberg wearing a rose gold sequined gown standing in front of a white step and repeat
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her role as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, has died at the age of 39. According to the New York Post, the actress "was found by her mother around 8 a.m." on Wednesday, Feb. 26. at her New York City apartment.

    Per sources, Trachtenberg recently received a liver transplant and the death is not being considered suspicious. According to the Post, the NYPD confirmed the star was "unconscious and unresponsive" and she was pronounced dead at the scene. TMZ also reported that "police and paramedics responded to a call for a woman in cardiac arrest, and found Michelle unresponsive."

    Her death follows a series of Instagram posts that worried fans over the past year. In January 2024, Trachtenberg wrote that she was "happy and healthy" in response to social media users' various claims, which included drug and alcohol abuse and malnutrition.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Michelle Trachtenberg wearing a black dress posing in front of a large plant with Christian Siriano at a 2023 party

    Trachtenberg is seen at a 2023 party for designer Christian Siriano.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    "Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have you hate? Get a calendar," she wrote on another post.

    Along with her role on Gossip Girl, Trachtenberg starred as Sarah Michelle Gellar's sister, Dawn, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with other standout roles including the title character in the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy.

    You may like
    • Gossip Girl 16 Shows That’ll Fill the 'Gossip Girl'-Sized Hole in Your Heart
    • 'Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford reunited at Max Mara's Milan Fashion Week show 'Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford Reunite at Fashion Week
    • A man and a woman (Sam Braun as Josh Regis and Miku Martineau as Teagan Tao) wearing activewear face each other while standing iin a wooden clubhouse, in Netflix's 'Crew Girl'. 'Crew Girl' Is the Next Must-Watch Teen Drama—Meet Its Roster of Rising Stars

    An official cause of death will be made by a NYC medical examiner, per the New York Post.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

    Read more
    'Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford reunited at Max Mara's Milan Fashion Week show
    Celebrity Style 'Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford Reunite at Fashion Week
    By Meguire Hennes
    A man and a woman (Sam Braun as Josh Regis and Miku Martineau as Teagan Tao) wearing activewear face each other while standing iin a wooden clubhouse, in Netflix's 'Crew Girl'.
    TV shows 'Crew Girl' Is the Next Must-Watch Teen Drama—Meet Its Roster of Rising Stars Miku Martineau leads the Netflix series as a competitive rower in a love triangle with her teammates.
    By Jessica Derschowitz
     
     
    ella beatty smiles posing on a red carpet wearing a black long gown at the premiere of monster the lizzie borden story
    TV shows Meet Ella Beatty, the 'Monster' Star Who Comes From a Family of Hollywood Royalty Her portrayal of Lizzie Borden in the Netflix true-crime series marks the actress' first leading TV role.
    By Radhika Menon
    Kristen Bell at the 2026 Emmy Awards.
    Celebrity Style Kristen Bell's 2026 Emmys Look Is Her Most Romantic Yet
    By Irina Grechko
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity
    Carole Middleton wearing a blue hat and coat talking to Queen Elizabeth at William and Kate's wedding
    Royals Carole Middleton "Used Her Head" When Trying to Win Over Queen Elizabeth
    Gigi Hadid wore the mesh Mary Janes trend for fall after the Miu Miu show at Paris Fashion Week
    Celebrity Style Yes, You Can Wear Mesh Flats in Fall—Just Style Them Like Gigi Hadid in Paris
     
     
    Mia and Lena Tindall cheering along a barrier with Savannah Phillips
    Royals Princess Anne's Grandchildren Have a Cutthroat Bedtime Tradition
    Queen Elizabeth has coiffed white hair and is smiling
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Put "A Huge Amount of Trust" in One Person
     
     
    Latest in News
    collage of French girls wearing ballet flats and Mary Janes at Paris Fashion Week
    Fall fashion French Girls Are Debuting the Best Ballet Flats at Paris Fashion Week
    Carole Middleton wearing a blue hat and coat talking to Queen Elizabeth at William and Kate's wedding
    Royals Carole Middleton "Used Her Head" When Trying to Win Over Queen Elizabeth
     
     
    Gigi Hadid wore the mesh Mary Janes trend for fall after the Miu Miu show at Paris Fashion Week
    Celebrity Style Yes, You Can Wear Mesh Flats in Fall—Just Style Them Like Gigi Hadid in Paris
    Mia and Lena Tindall cheering along a barrier with Savannah Phillips
    Royals Princess Anne's Grandchildren Have a Cutthroat Bedtime Tradition
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.