Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who rose to fame as a child star in the 1990s and 2000s, has died aged 39.
Police in Manhattan said they responded to an emergency call on Wednesday morning, and found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive”. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The American actress was best known for playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s younger sister Dawn Summers, and later took on the role of manipulative socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl – which ran from 2007 to 2012 – as an adult.
Trachtenberg made her film debut in Harriet the Spy in 1996, and she appeared in several Nickelodeon productions.
Her family’s representatives confirmed her death in a statement.
“It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss,” it said.
Authorities said her death was not being treated as suspicious.
“Criminality is not suspected. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing,” the NYPD said in a statement.
Trachtenberg got her start in acting at age nine on the Nickelodeon television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
In the early 2000s, she was nominated for several acting awards – including a Daytime Emmy Award – for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
She also starred in films including EuroTrip, Ice Princess, Killing Kennedy, and Sister Cities.
Blake Lively, a Gossip Girl co-star, said Trachtenberg “did everything… 200%”.
“She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke… she cared deeply about her work, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself,” she said.
“To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday. Hold those you love and have loved dear.”
US comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who starred alongside Trachtenberg in her Harriet the Spy debut, said her death was “heart-breaking.”
“I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
Former castmates on her most popular shows have also paid tribute.
