Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death undetermined after family rejects autopsy
Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death has been officially ruled “undetermined” after her family objected to an autopsy being performed on her body.
The office of New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner announced the 39-year-old’s cause of death on Thursday, 27th February. A spokesperson for the office revealed the information that Trachtenberg’s family had rejected an autopsy to the New York Post. The spokesperson added that the Medical Examiner’s office had to respect the family’s wishes according to New York State’s public health law.
Naturally, this decision limited what could be discovered about Trachtenberg’s tragic passing, with the Post only being able to note that she underwent a liver transplant recently. With nowhere else to go, “undetermined” was the only viable option for an official cause of death.
Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment by her mother just after 8am on Wednesday, 26th February. First responders quickly pronounced her dead at the scene.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star’s fans were alarmed by photographs released in January 2024 showing her looking extremely thin. When one insensitive Instagrammer asked, “Michelle, you look sick. Are you okay?” she responded, “Explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realise I’m not 14? I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.”
Many celebrities who worked with Trachtenberg over the years posted heartfelt tributes to her after her passing, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, her on-screen sister in Buffy. “Michelle, listen to me,” she posted on social media, cleverly reframing an important quote from the show. “Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live…for you.”
Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively also posted a long tribute that concluded, “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.”
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