Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, of ‘Harriet the Spy’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ dies at 39
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who brought both depth and range to roles on popular TV shows such as Gossip Girl and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died at age 39.
The New York Police Department responded to a 911 call around 8 a.m. in Manhattan Wednesday morning. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive,” and emergency medical services subsequently pronounced her deceased, police told NPR in a statement. The woman was identified as Trachtenberg. “Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.”
A former child actress whose earliest credits included stints on soap opera and crime procedurals, Trachtenberg broke out at age 10 acting as the star of the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy.
“Miss Trachtenberg, who makes her screen debut as Harriet, gives a performance that is as endearing as it is devoid of self-conscious cuteness,” wrote New York Times critic Stephen Holden in his review. “Her Harriet is high-spirited and stubborn, but never unlikable.”
Trachtenberg brought similar buoyant qualities to her role as Dawn Summers, younger sister to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She joined the hit show in its fifth season, in 2000. In recent years, after cast members accused showrunner Joss Whedon of sexual impropriety and toxic bullying, she posted a statement on social media in support, saying that she had not been allowed to be in a room alone with him. (Whedon told New York Magazine that he had no idea about this rule.)
After Buffy ended in 2003, Trachtenberg worked steadily, with arcs on such television shows as Mercy and Weeds. In the peak Disney princess era, she starred in its 2005 film Ice Princess. But it was on Gossip Girl that Trachtenberg made the greatest impact on popular culture. She joined the CW show in 2008 as the devious Georgina Sparks. She was a fan favorite.
“A talent forever,” wrote one fan on a Reddit thread memorializing the young actress.
North Korean crosses the heavily fortified border to South Korea
South Korean authorities plan to investigate the border crossing and did not immediately say whether they view the incident as a defection attempt.
Firefighters race to contain wildfires in Greece as thousands evacuated
More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and residents were evacuated from an area along Crete's southern coast. Some people fled into the sea and were rescued by local fishermen and divers.
Immigrants with no criminal convictions represent sharpest growth in ICE detention population
The number of people in ICE detention without criminal convictions nearly doubled in the last month — a significant increase compared to detainees who have been convicted of crimes.
Supreme Court to decide if states can ban transgender girls in sports
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases in the fall that test state laws banning transgender women and girls from participating in sports at publicly funded institutions.
Congress passed no tax on tips in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Here’s how it works
Congress passed the tax cut and spending megabill with President Trump's legislative priorities which includes new tax exemptions for tipped hourly workers. But how will it work?
How Trump’s big beautiful bill aims to ‘supercharge’ immigration enforcement
The bill includes a major federal investment for President Trump's mass deportation plans, while also limiting eligibility for some safety net programs based on immigration status.
