The cast and crew of Gossip Girl honored their former costar Michelle Trachtenberg following the news of her death at age 39.
“Michelle was one of a kind,” Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, February 26. “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.”
The actor, 39, included two selfies with Trachtenberg as well a snap that appeared to show them on the set of Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007 to 2012 on The CW.
Police sources confirmed to Us Weekly earlier on Wednesday that Trachtenberg was found unconscious inside her New York City apartment. No cause of death has been reported, and the incident is not believed to be suspicious.
Related: ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy’ Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at Age 39
Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg has died at age 39. Police sources confirmed to Us Weekly on Wednesday, February 26, that Trachtenberg was found unconscious inside her Midtown West Side apartment in New York City. The incident is not believed to be suspicious. No cause of death has been reported. (The New York Post was the […]
Trachtenberg’s representative later addressed the news in a statement, telling Us on Wednesday, “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”
Multiple sources told Us that the Ice Princess actress had a liver transplant prior to her death.
Trachtenberg broke out as a child star in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy, which was based on Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 novel of the same name. She later appeared in shows including The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Six Feet Under.
In 2008, she made her debut in season 1 of Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks, a villainous former friend of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively). Trachtenberg appeared in 28 episodes of the original series and later returned for two episodes of the Max sequel, which debuted in 2021.
In February 2020, Trachtenberg praised her former costars for their post–Gossip Girl achievements and said she’d recently seen Leighton Meester, who played Blair Waldorf.
“Leighton and I actually had dinner not too long ago, and she’s also a mother,” Trachtenberg exclusively told Us at the time. “I think it’s just amazing what they’ve all accomplished.”
She noted that she hadn’t yet seen Penn Badgley’s then-new show You, but she’d heard about the memes joking that Georgina could ruin his character, Joe.
“[It] says that I would be the one to take him down, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what this means,’” she joked. “And then my friends were like, ‘Well … ’ I go to all of my friends for the content to understand what’s cool with the kids these days.”
Keep scrolling for more tributes to Trachtenberg from the Gossip Girl cast and crew:
Chace Crawford
“Michelle was one of a kind,” Crawford wrote via Instagram. “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
“So sad to hear of the passing of @michelletrachtenberg,” Westwick, 37, wrote via his Instagram Story alongside a throwback photo of Trachtenberg from the series. “Sending prayers.” (The actor played Chuck Bass on the teen drama.)
Josh Schwartz
The Gossip Girl cocreator, 48, paid tribute to Trachtenberg via his Instagram Story, writing, “RIP Michelle. Thank you for Georgina. You will be missed but not forgotten.”
He also commented on Crawford’s post, writing, “Well said. Love these photos. 💙.”
Kevin Zegers
“What a loss. Michelle was tough and a force,” wrote Zegers, 40, who played Damian Dalgaard, via Instagram. “Just a kid, so sad.”
Joshua Safran
The Gossip Girl writer penned a touching social media tribute for Trachtenberg on Wednesday sharing it was “an honor and joy” to create her character.
“Georgina unlocked something in me in which writing her was the easiest thing I’d done. It was partially the character: devious, delicious, direct — the most fun to write,” he reflected. “But it was also Michelle. She had such a clear voice as an actor. You heard her as you typed.”
Safran continued: “You knew she’d make each line rougher, more real, much funnier — and that made the writing better. She was an inspiration and an icon. There’s many reasons GG1 caught fire when we came back from the strike, but one of the biggest was the intro of her arc. The injection of *her.* Long live Georgina Sparks, and the brilliant woman who gave her the fire. You will be forever missed. Xoxo.”
Blake Lively
“This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed,” Lively, 38, wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of the duo filming Gossip Girl. “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.”
Calling her “king through and through,” Lively continued, “Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday. Hold those you love and have loved dear. 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.”
Taylor Momsen
The actress-turned-rocker took to social media to share her “shock” over Trachtenberg’s death, writing via Instagram, “When I met this girl 15 years ago I knew we’d be friends..she was smart and sassy, bold and sensitive, funny as f— and filled with fire. She was simply awesome. I’ll miss our late night calls that no one should ever hear but us. She was always in my corner and there to support me whether I was right or wrong.”
Momsen then took a moment to address Trachtenberg directly. “I will miss you everyday my love..I think we truly understood each other and I am so grateful to have had a friend like you in my life for so long..You were a true friend to me which is a rarity in this world and I can’t believe I won’t hear your voice again,” she wrote. “I hope you’re f—-ing up heaven for both of us..I love you so much Michelle, my heart is on the floor.”
She concluded the post — which featured a black and white slideshow of the costars over the years — by sharing that she “needed to honor” her longtime friend, noting that she “deserves more than this.”
“I grieve with all her fans around the world, and my heart is with her family and loved ones,” Momsen added. “I have so much to say, but she’s the only one I’d want to say it to, my love to you all xxt.”
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