Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death ruled ‘undetermined’ after family objects to autopsy
Fans may never get answers surrounding the death of Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg after her family made a surprising request following her shock death.
Celebrity Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg’s death was ruled “undetermined” Thursday morning after her family objected to an autopsy, according to a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner’s office and sources.
The office said it’s obligated to honour the family’s request due to the state’s public health law, the sources said. This confined the medical examiner to conducting an external examination, which limits what can be determined.
Trachtenberg, 39, was found by her mother around 8am Wednesday at One Columbus Place, a 51-story luxury apartment complex in Manhattan’s Central Park South neighbourhood, the sources said.
The actress, whose credits include the title role in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy, Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, had undergone a liver transplant within the last year, a source told The Post, adding that her body may have rejected the organ.
Her family’s wishes not to conduct a formal autopsy means it’s unlikely any further investigation will be done into her shocking death.
Her death certificate now officially states “undetermined” as both cause and manner, sources said.
Trachtenberg’s mother, Lana Trachtenberg, saw her daughter alive around 10pm Tuesday night — just 10 hours before she found her lying in bed face-up and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment, sources told The Post.
She was declared dead by EMS and her death is not considered suspicious, officials said.
Just last Thursday, the actress was spotted at a popular New York City restaurant, TMZ reported.
In the months leading up to her death, the actress sparked health concerns among her fans as some of her 800,000 Instagram followers started pointing out her alarmingly frail appearance, which she dismissed.
A close friend of Trachtenberg, photographer and media personality Amanda de Cadenet, claimed in an Instagram post Wednesday evening that Trachtenberg was “recently” hospitalised and was aware she had a “high” chance of dying.
“I will not share the details of our conversations over the last 6 months,” de Cadenet wrote before adding, “but you knew that death was a high possibility and I am only sorry that the outcome was not a better one.”
The post was edited later to omit those details.
Tributes from Trachtenberg’s co-stars poured in as news spread of her untimely death.
Trachtenberg’s Buffy co-star James Marsters, who played Spike, told The Post Wednesday, “We have lost a beautiful soul. Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny, and a very talented person.”
“She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her,” he added.
Fellow Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played main character Buffy Summers, also shared a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Michelle, listen to me, I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live … for you,” she captioned — quoting what Buffy says to her sister, Dawn Summers, played by Trachtenberg, in an episode of the show.
This article originally appeared in New York Post and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death ruled ‘undetermined’ after family objects to autopsy
Footy, flags and frizzy hair: Meet the real Charlie Curnow
His laid-back persona makes him one of the most elusive players in the AFL. Here, Charlie Curnow reveals the pre-match dinners that are fuelling Carlton’s premiership push.
Rare pic of music icon amid cancer battle
The beloved singer has shared a rare snap to celebrate his 72nd birthday, just one year after revealing his brain cancer diagnosis.