Michelle Trachtenberg, the actress who rose to fame as a child star in Harriet the Spy and later gained recognition for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 39, according to New York City police.
Officers responded to a 911 call early Wednesday morning and found Trachtenberg unconscious and unresponsive in a Manhattan apartment, an NYPD spokesperson said. Emergency medical services arrived and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Though the investigation remains ongoing "criminality is not suspected" police stated. The official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s office.
Trachtenberg first captured audiences with her comedic timing, making her a natural fit for "Nickelodeon’s ‘90s" lineup. She gained early attention on "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" before starring in Nickelodeon's first feature film, "Harriet the Spy" (1996), alongside Rosie O’Donnell and J. Smith-Cameron.
In 2000, she took on the role of Dawn Summers, Buffy’s younger sister, on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
Transitioning into more mature roles, she starred in "Eurotrip" (2004), "Six Feet Under" (2005), and "Ice Princess" (2005).
Her moment of reinvention arrived thanks to "Gossip Girl", where she played the villainous Georgina Sparks, a scheming socialite who stirred up some of the show’s most memorable moments. “It’s definitely a lot more fun than playing the good girl,” she told Seventeen magazine in 2009.
Most recently, Trachtenberg reprised her role as Georgina in HBO Max’s Gossip Girl revival.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke temporary legal status for over 500,000 migrants, putting them at risk of deportation while legal challenges continue.
A massive landslide in southern Switzerland this week buried the village of Blatten and blocked a river, creating a growing risk of flooding. Millions of cubic meters of ice, mud, and rock crashed down from a mountain on Wednesday, flooding the few buildings left in the village.
The 2nd Istanbul World Islamic Economy Summit was held at the Istanbul Financial Center, bringing together leaders and experts from across the Islamic world.
Trump’s crackdown on elite U.S. universities is pushing students—and billions in academic revenue—toward global competitors.
AnewZ takes to the streets of Yerevan and Baku to ask a simple yet deeply complex question: How do you see peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan? In the first part of our special report, we hear the hopes, doubts, and scars still shaping people’s perspectives on both sides.
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Rick Derringer, the rock guitarist behind hits like “Hang On Sloopy” and “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” has died at age 77. He was known for his decades-long career and collaborations with music legends and pop culture icons.
Volkswagen is negotiating directly with the U.S. government to ease tariffs in exchange for deeper investment commitments.
The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke temporary legal status for over 500,000 migrants, putting them at risk of deportation while legal challenges continue.
A massive landslide in southern Switzerland this week buried the village of Blatten and blocked a river, creating a growing risk of flooding. Millions of cubic meters of ice, mud, and rock crashed down from a mountain on Wednesday, flooding the few buildings left in the village.
The 2nd Istanbul World Islamic Economy Summit was held at the Istanbul Financial Center, bringing together leaders and experts from across the Islamic world.
Trump’s crackdown on elite U.S. universities is pushing students—and billions in academic revenue—toward global competitors.
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