Michelle Trachtenberg's family has refused an autopsy on religious grounds after the 'Gossip Girl' star died suddenly on February 26 at the age of 39.
According to ABC News, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office respected the family's decision and could not determine the cause of Michelle Trachtenberg's death. Currently, her cause and manner of death are listed as "undetermined."
Earlier, after the initial investigation, police said there were no signs of foul play in the Hollywood actress's death. According to police sources, Michelle had undergone a liver transplant last year and may have experienced complications.
Michelle Trachtenberg was found "unresponsive" by her mother at 8 a.m. Wednesday at her apartment at One Columbus Place, a 51-story luxury condominium in Manhattan's Central Park South. When police and paramedics arrived, they determined that Michelle had passed away.
According to People, Michelle's friends revealed that she had been sick for months and the actress had told them about her health struggles. The source said Michelle was "depressed" as she dealt with health issues that she did not share publicly. She had worried fans when she looked thin and pale in photos posted on Instagram a year ago.
Michelle's Harriet the Spy co-star Rosie O'Donnell, 62, told E! News: "It's heartbreaking. I love her so much. She's been struggling for the last few years. I wish I could help her." Photographer Amanda de Cadenet told Nypost that she recently FaceTimed Michelle and learned she was in the hospital.
Michelle Trachtenberg, born in 1985 in New York, has been acting since she was three years old and played a child detective in Harriet the Spy (1996). From 2008 to 2012, she appeared in 28 episodes of the hit TV series Gossip Girl, playing the wealthy, drug-addicted Georgina Sparks. She also starred in films such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, EuroTrip, Ice Princess and 17 Again. Michelle has been dating talent agent and producer Jay Cohen since 2020 and just celebrated their love on Valentine's Day 2025.