Recent liver surgery

“Buffy” star Michelle Trachtenberg: Death at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg - pictured here in 2020 - died aged just 39.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Michael Tran)

Shortly before the remake of the successful vampire series "Buffy", one of the stars - Michelle Trachtenberg - died unexpectedly. The 39-year-old recently had to undergo an operation. Fans of the actress had been worried for months.

According to media reports, her mother Lana found Trachtenberg lifeless in her New York apartment on Wednesday morning (local time) and the emergency services were unable to do anything. According to "Page Six" and the "New York Post", the actress' unexpected death is not considered suspicious. The 39-year-old had recently undergone an operation - she had to have a liver transplant. An autopsy will now clarify the exact cause of death.

Trachtenberg at an event in November 2003

(Bild: AFP/Presley Ann/Getty Images for Christian Siriano)

Fans of the 39-year-old had been concerned for some time about Trachtenberg's postings on her Instagram page, as she had appeared very thin and fragile in photos. Trachtenberg only reassured them in January: she was "happy and healthy" and had not had any cosmetic surgery.

Best known from "Buffy" and "Gossip Girl"
Trachtenberg first appeared in front of the camera as a nine-year-old for a Nickelodeon series and made her film debut in 1996 with "Harriet the Spy" - she played the title role. The actress was best known for her roles in "Buffy - Under the Spell of Demons" and "Gossip Girl". The last "Buffy" episodes - in the series Trachtenberg plays the little sister of the title heroine, Dawn Summers - flickered across TV screens in 2003.

The "Buffy" cast. Michelle Trachtenberg can be seen in the front left of the picture next to leading actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

(Bild: Everett Collection / picturedesk.com)

The series ran successfully for many seasons from 1997 with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role and is about Buffy, a vampire slayer with mystical powers, who fights dark forces together with her friends.

A new edition of the series is currently in the works - Gellar is also set to play a part. However, the sequel will focus on a younger vampire slayer, according to Deadline, and only a pilot episode is planned for the time being.

Nevertheless, the announcement triggered a shitstorm: fans fear that this would "destroy the Buffy myth forever". Gellar recently responded: "I've always listened to the fans and their desire to return to Buffy's world. But it was something I didn't want to do unless I was sure we were going to do it right. I promise you that we will only go through with the show in the end if it can really be shot on in the right way."