Michelle Trachtenberg dead at 39: 'Harriet the Spy' & 'Buffy' Star's tragic passing

UPDATED: Feb 27, 2025 00:13 IST

NEW YORK: Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 film “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy TV shows at the dawn of the millennium — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.

Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 am at luxury residential tower in midtown where they found a 39-year-old woman unconscious and unresponsive,” according to an NYPD statement. Her death was first reported by the New York Post.

Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. No foul play was suspected and the New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.

Representatives for Trachtenberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trachtenberg rose to fame at just 10, as the plucky titular snoop in the 1996 film “Harriet the Spy.”