Gossip Girl Star Dies: Michelle Trachtenberg Was 39

Michelle Trachtenberg has died at the age of 39. The actress was found dead on Wednesday in her New York apartment. She gained worldwide fame for her roles in such productions as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Eurotrip" and "Gossip Girl." The causes of her death are being investigated.

According to American media, Michelle Trachtenberg's body was found on Wednesday morning by the actress's mother, who came to her New York apartment.

Police sources told ABC News that Trachtenberg recently underwent a liver transplant and may have experienced complications , as the star is initially suspected to have died of natural causes. However, an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact circumstances.

A native New Yorker, Trachtenberg made her debut as a child star in Nickelodeon projects such as the series "Pete & Pete's Adventures" and the film "Harriet the Spy."

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The breakthrough in the actress's career was when she was cast in the hit series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 2000 to 2003, where she played Dawn, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. For this role, she received a Teen Choice Award nomination in 2001.

Trachtenberg also appeared in Fall Out Boy's music video for the 2007 hit "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and became known to younger audiences as Georgina Sparks in the series Gossip Girl , in which she starred from 2008 to 2012. She returned to the series years later in its sequel aired on HBO. The actress also starred in the film Eurotrip.