Hollywood star dies aged 39
Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away aged 39.
The former child star rose to fame in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy, before going on to have memorable roles on popular TV shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.
Police responded to a 911 call on Wednesday just after 8am local time, where “officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” inside a Manhattan apartment, according to a NYPD statement.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, with no foul play suspected.
Her official cause of death will come from the New York Medical Examiner.
A NYPD source old ABC News that Trachtenberg may have been experiencing complications from a recent liver transplant, and is believed to have died of natural causes.
"The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time," a representative for Trachtenberg told CNN in a statement.
Trachtenberg appeared in 66 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She also featured in 28 episodes of Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks, between 2008 and 2012.
Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have paid tribute to the actress, writing: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing. Michelle was so funny, kind, and talented."
“Her portrayal of Georgina Sparks was an iconic fan favorite, and grew from a one season villain to a beloved character who returned over the course of six seasons. She was a delight to have on set and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family.”
Image: SBM/Plux/ Shutterstock Editorial