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michelle trachtenberg at the InStyle Awards in 2017
michelle trachtenberg at the InStyle Awards in 2017
Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for InStyle
U Vic | Culture > News

Michelle Trachtenberg: Child Star to Favourite Villian

Updated Published
Paige Peters Student Contributor, University of Victoria
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Vic chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Michelle Trachtenberg, known best for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, tragically passed away at the age of 39 early this morning (Feb. 26). 

She was found in her New York City apartment, allegedly by her mother after having undergone a liver transplant and may have experienced complications from the surgery. Full details surrounding her death have yet to be released, though police are not treating it as suspicious.

Trachtenberg first rose to fame at age nine, starring in the 1990s Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete and Pete before making her film debut as Harriet in Harriet the Spy. 

Her biggest break, however, came when she was cast as Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dawn was the younger sister of the titular character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Trachtenberg’s acting earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice TV Sidekick in 2001. Michelle received many nominations and awards for her acting in various shows and movies.

She also starred in 17 Again alongside Zac Efron, as the character Maggie, and appeared in EuroTrip as Jenny. Michelle also played Casey Carlye in the Disney movie Ice Princess, among other roles.

Trachtenberg might be best known for her role as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl. Georgina Sparks was a frenemy of the Upper East Siders, known for being rebellious, a little crazy, and a villain fans loved to hate. 
She leaves behind her mother and her boyfriend, Jay Cohen.

Paige Peters

U Vic '25

Paige has been with Her Campus since September of 2022 as both a writer and editor before deciding to take on a larger role as Chapter Leader for one year. As a former Campus Correspondents at the Her Campus at UVic chapter, Paige published content, managed the executive team, oversaw retention and recruitment, and hosted meetings, now she is back to simply writing and editing, what she truly enjoys.

She has done media for a non-profit as well as collabing with local newspapers to promote the festival that the non-profit ran.

As a fourth-year writing major at UVic, Paige is minoring in journalism with a focus in creative nonfiction. She received a scholarship for a short story she wrote in 2020. She has also received various academic scholarships for her grades. She hopes to go into either publishing/editing or working for a newspaper/magazine somewhere in Europe one day, ideally in the world of Formula One.

In her free time, Paige watches and keeps up with the Formula One world. She also enjoys reading a good book, bingeing one of her favourite TV shows such as Criminal Minds, and visiting bookstores.