The 39-year-old was best known for her roles roles in “Buffy,” “Harriet the Spy,” and “Gossip Girl.” Police sources said her mother made the discovery around 8 a.m. Wednesday and called 911, but there was nothing paramedics could do. Trachtenberg recently had a liver transplant, which appeared to have failed, according to sources. NBC New York’s Gus Rosendale reports.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, known for roles in "Buffy," "Harriet the Spy," and "Gossip Girl," was found dead in a New York City apartment at the age of 39, according to a police spokesperson.
The NYPD responded to a 911 call around 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning to a luxury apartment building in the Columbus Circle area, police said. When officers arrived they found Trachtenberg unconscious and unresponsive, according to the NYPD.
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WATCH HEREPolice sources say Trachtenberg's mother was the person who found her and called 911.
Trachtenberg was pronounced dead at the scene at One Columbus Place, on West 59th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues, which sources said was her residence. The medical examiner will determine the cause of her death, but police said "criminality is not suspected" and her death was not considered suspicious.
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Trachtenberg had recently received a liver transplant, but it appeared that transplant had failed, according to a source.
“The family requests privacy for their loss," Trachtenberg's representative, Gary Mantoosh, said in a statement Wednesday.
A neighbor told reporters gathered outside the building there were no apparent signs of problems before Wednesday.
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A van for the medical examiner's office left the scene just before 4 p.m.
One of her most popular and longest roles, Trachtenberg received acclaim for her role as Dawn Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in the early 2000s, alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar. She starred in a number of film and television roles throughout her career including "Harriet the Spy," which was one of her first acting roles, and "Gossip Girl," in which she played Georgina Sparks.
The creators and showrunners for "Buffy" said in a statement that Trachtenberg "was a delight to have on set and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family."
In January, Trachtenberg responded to fans on social media who expressed concern about her health and wellbeing, E! reported at the time.
On Jan. 17, she shared a selfie with "Spy Kids" star Alexa PenaVega, writing, "These kids….now adults getting our roots/hair done! Love this girl @vegaalexa." One user commented, "Michelle u look sick. R u ok?"
The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alum responded, "Explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realize I'm not 14. I'm 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment."
She captioned another selfie in January, "Fun fact. This is my face," she captioned the post. "Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have you hate? Get a calendar."
Trachtenberg grew up in Brooklyn, according to the entertainment website IMDb.
The actress last posted on Instagram a week ago with a throwback photo. She regularly would post about being in New York and add a hashtag "#newyork" to her posts.
Police said the investigation in her death is ongoing.
