Actor Michelle Trachtenberg‘s cause of death has been revealed, following reports that the cause of her sudden passing was undetermined.
According to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that the 39-year-old’s death was a result of complications from diabetes mellitus.
“The amended determination was made following review of toxicology testing results,” the spokesperson said, noting that a “toxicology testing can be done without autopsy”.
Previously, the New York Post reported that her cause of death was listed as “undetermined” after Trachtenberg’s family refused an autopsy.
The Buffy star was found dead in her apartment in New York City on February 26 after police responded to an emergency call. When the authorities arrived, they discovered Trachtenberg unconscious and unresponsive.
As news of her passing spread, insiders revealed that the Ice Princess star had recently undergone a liver transplant and theorised that she may have experienced complications.
Speaking to PEOPLE, another insider claimed that Trachtenberg had been struggling with her health for a while now.
“She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling,” the source said, describing the Gossip Girl star as “pale, gaunt, very thin, and dealing with health issues”.
Despite these claims, Trachtenberg had clapped back at people online criticising her about her health and her appearance after she posted a selfie in January 2024.
“Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition, no problems. Why do you have to hate? Get a calendar,” she said, referencing the fact that she’d aged since being a popular child star.
Trachtenberg got her start in the acting world as a kid in the 1996 comedy Harriet The Spy.
She went on to appear as Dawn Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer before stealing the show as the diabolical Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl.
