Oscars 2025: Michelle Trachtenberg overlooked for ‘In Memoriam’ section
Gossip Girl actor Michelle Trachtenberg was conspicuous by her absence in the Oscars 2025 ‘In Memoriam’ section despite passing away earlier this week.
The ‘In Memoriam’ selection is always an important part of every Academy Awards ceremony, and this year there were a sad abundance of big names who needed to be included. The segment began with Morgan Freeman paying an emotional tribute to Gene Hackman, who was found dead only a few days before the Oscars. It then segued into an extended tribute to the likes of David Lynch, Maggie Smith, and Donald Sutherland.
However, Trachtenberg wasn’t included, despite starring in popular TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and movies such as EuroTrip, Black Christmas, and Mysterious Skin.
Trachtenberg tragically passed at the age of 39 on Wednesday, February 26th. She was found just after 8am by her mother and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. Sources revealed that Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant, but no cause of death was determined because her family refused to allow an autopsy to take place.
The NYPD has since confirmed that police responded to an emergency call at 1 Columbus Place in New York. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” a statement said. “EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased. Criminality is not suspected.”
Trachtenberg’s Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively posted a long tribute to her on social media 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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