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Michelle Trachtenberg, dead at 39

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Recently had a liver transplant. Possible complications.


Authorities found Trachtenberg at a residence after responding to a 911 call around 8 a.m. local time. The actress was unconscious and unresponsive, according to the New York Police Department. Trachtenberg's death is not being investigated as suspicious and the cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

Police sources told ABC7 that Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant and may have been experiencing complications. Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Trachtenberg.

Trachtenberg began her career in Nickelodeon's "The Adventures of Pete and Pete." In 1996, she made her film debut, playing the title role in "Harriet the Spy."

The actress moved on to star as Dawn Summers in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for three years. The series ran from 1997 until 2003.
 
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Loved Harriet the Spy as a weirdo kid, I called Nickelodeon's hotline when they ran a contest giving spy kits away and was totally crushed when my call didn't even get through. Had a big crush on her in my teen years. Sad news, she was still pretty young. RIP.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
Very sad news, I remember her from many cool movies like Eurotrip and of course from Buffy. I had a big wtf she first appeared as her sister, very memorable role.
 
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jason10mm

Gold Member
Now everyone is waiting to see what Joss Whedon says about her, as she was the first one to publicly call him out, IIRC.

I personally would like Joss to get back into the game as I think he was a brilliant storyteller, but he definitely has issues with women and I'm not sure they are ready to forgive him.

RIP Michelle.
 

Rockondevil

Member
Sucks to hear. Loved her in plenty of media. Eurotrip being my personal favourite.

I followed her on Insta and she’s been looking I’ll for quite a while and this explains it. Shame the transplant didn’t go well, especially at her age.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
It’s shocking to see people younger than you die first unexpectedly.

Harriet the Spy, Buffy, and Eurotrip will be sadder on any rewatch.
So true.

From my high school days I know of 5 people who died somewhere between 30-50 and one girl at roughly age 25. A combo of suicide, cancer, freak accidents where they awkwardly fell and hit their head. I didn’t know them at all well or anything but some would remember me as one was on my FB. but knew who they were and you hear from it through the grapevine on FB through other people who knew them better. One guy I didn’t really speak to but as a kid lived around the block from me. He just simply fell and hit his head, went to the hospital and died a few days later.
 
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jcorb

Member
This is honestly shocking. I definitely had a huge crush on her (she's only slightly older than me), from a pretty early age. She obviously had a clear career path if she'd leaned into raunchy stuff, but didn't take the easy path. Seemed level headed, no obvious drama or drug issues. Shocking she went so young.

That's life, though.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Man, that's ridiculously young.

Damn fucking shame.

RIP and condolences to her family and friends.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Every once in a while a celebrity death will hit me harder and this is definitely one of those. I think it's because she's around my age and I grew up seeing her in stuff. Saw her in interviews and stuff she seemed like a sweetheart it's a real sad one. 39 is so young and she just was active online recently.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Sounds like she drank herself to death and her body rejected the liver she had just received.
Is that based on reports of her being a raging alcoholic or just because she had a liver transplant? LOTS of things can go wrong with the liver not connected to any alcohol or drugs. They also don't transplant folks for alcoholic liver disease unless they get clean.
 

Yoda

Member
RIP, waay too soon. Per sources (twitter posts) it sounds like she had a liver transplant and her body may have rejected it?
 
Is that based on reports of her being a raging alcoholic or just because she had a liver transplant? LOTS of things can go wrong with the liver not connected to any alcohol or drugs. They also don't transplant folks for alcoholic liver disease unless they get clean.

It’s from lots of reports of her having alcohol issues. She could have gotten clean to get the transplant and her body rejected it.
 

Davesky

Member
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Loved her in EuroTrip
 
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