Michelle Trachtenberg Through the Years: Life, Career in Photos (2025)

Michelle Trachtenberg had been acting for decades ahead of her death at age 39.

Trachtenberg got her big break in 1996 when she starred as the titular character in Harriet the Spy opposite Rosie O’Donnell.

“I turned 10 years old on the first day of principal photography of Harriet the Spy. Rosie was my biggest supporter,” Trachtenberg recalled to Entertainment Tonight in 2021. “There was a lot required of me. I'm extremely grateful for the experience.”

After Harriet, Trachtenberg continued acting with roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ice Princess, 17 Again and Gossip Girl. On Gossip Girl, Trachtenberg notably portrayed Georgina Sparks. While the CW drama went off the air in 2012, the actress remained tight with her fellow Upper East Siders.

“Leighton [Meester] and I actually had dinner not too long ago, and she’s also a mother,” Trachtenberg told Us Weekly and other reporters in February 2020. “I think it’s just amazing what they’ve all accomplished.”

Three years later, Trachtenberg even made a cameo on HBO Max’s rebooted version of Gossip Girl.

Us confirmed in February 2025 that Trachtenberg died at age 39. Nearly two months later, her cause of death was revealed as a result of complications of diabetes mellitus and was deemed natural.

Scroll below to revisit the late actress’ life in photos:

Michelle Trachtenberg had been acting for decades ahead of her death at age 39.

Trachtenberg got her big break in 1996 when she starred as the titular character in Harriet the Spy opposite Rosie O’Donnell.

“I turned 10 years old on the first day of principal photography of Harriet the Spy. Rosie was my biggest supporter,” Trachtenberg recalled to Entertainment Tonight in 2021. “There was a lot required of me. I'm extremely grateful for the experience.”

After Harriet, Trachtenberg continued acting with roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ice Princess, 17 Again and Gossip Girl. On Gossip Girl, Trachtenberg notably portrayed Georgina Sparks. While the CW drama went off the air in 2012, the actress remained tight with her fellow Upper East Siders.

“Leighton [Meester] and I actually had dinner not too long ago, and she’s also a mother,” Trachtenberg told Us Weekly and other reporters in February 2020. “I think it’s just amazing what they’ve all accomplished.”

Three years later, Trachtenberg even made a cameo on HBO Max’s rebooted version of Gossip Girl.

Us confirmed in February 2025 that Trachtenberg died at age 39. Nearly two months later, her cause of death was revealed as a result of complications of diabetes mellitus and was deemed natural.

Scroll below to revisit the late actress’ life in photos:

While Trachtenberg began her career with bit roles on Clarissa Explains It All, Law & Order and All My Children, it was Harriet the Spy that marked her film debut. Based on the book of the same name, Trachtenberg played the namesake sixth grader. In the film, Trachtenberg’s Harriet records suspicious activity and a running list of observations in a private notebook. When the journal is discovered by one of Harriet’s classmates, the whole school is resolved to turn against her.

Trachtenberg landed the role of Buffy’s sister, Dawn Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even after the series wrapped in 2003, Trachtenberg remained close with show star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

“Slay all day! Always loved this twinning photo of us,” Trachtenberg captioned a throwback Instagram pic of the twosome in January 2025.

Trachtenberg’s next big-screen breakout was in Disney’s Ice Princess, where she played brainy Casey Carlyle with a secret passion for ice skating. Her costars included Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall and Hayden Panettiere.

Trachtenberg’s character, Georgina Sparks, arrived on Gossip Girl shrouded in mystery as the party-going friend of Serena Van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) intent on serving up revenge. Georgina stuck around the show for the remainder of the six seasons, even briefly taking over the Gossip Girl mantle.

Us Weekly exclusively confirmed in October that Trachtenberg had been dating her Gersh Agency talent agent, Jay Cohen, for more than one year.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face,” she later gushed via Instagram in February 2025, sharing a throwback Halloween portrait of the pair.

Trachtenberg reprised her Gossip Girl role on the HBO Max reboot, where it was revealed that Constance Billard teacher Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson) had been kidnapped by Georgina’s crew and taken to Dan and Serena’s penthouse. (In the OG series finale, Dan and Serena tied the knot.)

“They fired their staff when they thought someone was breaking in,” Georgina joked. “At first, they thought it was the doorman. But when they kept coming home to this [breaks glass vase], they put cameras everywhere. I had my son loop the image. So now, they're bringing in a paranormal expert. They have no idea I'm their poltergeist.”

After Trachtenberg and fellow actress Alexa PenaVega posed together at a hair salon, fans questioned Trachtenberg’s health.

“Explain to me how I look sick,” Trachtenberg shot back via Instagram in January. “Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.”

Trachtenberg further reiterated that she was “happy and healthy.”

“I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,” she said. “Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition. No problems. Why do you have you hate? Get a calendar.”

News broke one year later that Trachtenberg had died. A cause of death has not been revealed.

In this article