Leighton Meester Breaks Silence on ‘Gossip Girl’ Costar Michelle Trachtenberg’s Death

Leighton Meester has spoken publicly about the death of her Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg for the first time.

In a recent interview with Flaunt magazine, Meester, 39, said that losing Trachtenberg, who died in a New York City apartment in February at age 39, was “devastating.”

Meester continued, “She was a wonderful, talented person and everyone loved her. It’s very, very sad for everyone who knew her.” The outlet noted that Meester, who starred as Blair Waldorf opposite Trachtenberg’s Georgina Sparks on the CW drama series, held her “lifelong” friendship with Trachtenberg “dearly.”

The interview also discussed how Meester reflects on her Gossip Girl days, revealing that she considers the time to have been “crucial,” explaining that, “I can see that [the show’s legacy] continues — in some ways, even more so than back then — to live on, which is incredible.”

A representative for Trachtenberg confirmed her death to Us Weekly in a statement on February 26, shortly after news of the star’s death broke. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” the statement read. “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”

Trachtenberg was found unconscious inside her apartment and her initial cause of death was deemed “undetermined.” A New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to Us in April that she died as a result of complications of diabetes mellitus. Trachtenberg’s death was ultimately deemed natural.

Among the Gossip Girl alums to pay tribute to Trachtenberg in the days following her death were Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald, Ed Westwick, who played Chuck Bass, and Blake Lively, who played Serena van der Woodsen.

Crawford, 39, wrote via Instagram that “Michelle was one of a kind,” recalling the first time she arrived on the set of Gossip Girl. “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 ❤️.”

Westwick, 37, took to his Instagram Stories to let his followers know he was “sending prayers,” while Lively, also 37, took to her own Instagram account to share a moving tribute alongside a photo of herself with Trachtenberg.

“This is the first day I met Michelle,” Lively wrote at the time. “She was electricity. You knew when she entered 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.”