Michelle Trachtenberg’s friend reveals myriad of health problems ahead of shocking death at 39
A friend of Michelle Trachtenberg’s has shared new insight into her final years following her shock death at 39 last week.
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Michelle Trachtenberg was “thrown a lot of curveballs” health-wise before her shocking death, a friend revealed on Wednesday.
A source close to Trachtenberg told US magazine Us Weekly that “whenever [they] spoke, there was something medically wrong” with the actress.
Trachtenberg “had back issues and then bone problems, and she also fell a few times,” according to the friend, reports The New York Post’s Page Six.
However, the insider said the Gossip Girl star “did her best not to let it get her down”.
Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment on February 26 at age 39, with sources telling The New York Post she had recently undergone a liver transplant.
While the Mayo Clinic lists genetic disorders, cancer, hepatitis or excessive alcohol consumption as the general causes of liver failure, Trachtenberg’s friend told Us Weekly the Ice Princess star “did drink but not excessively in public”.
The insider added, “She was never the type to party hard. In the end, she was more of a recluse”.
“She was very open with those close to her about having the transplant,” the source continued, “but she never went into detail”.
An eyewitness to Trachtenberg’s outing with friends at Sartiano’s in NYC six days before she died told the magazine “something seemed off” with her, which an industry insider echoed.
The insider added, “She was never the type to party hard. In the end, she was more of a recluse”.
“She was very open with those close to her about having the transplant,” the source continued, “but she never went into detail.”
An eyewitness to Trachtenberg’s outing with friends at an NYC restaurant six days before she died told the magazine “something seemed off” with her, which an industry insider echoed.
“The last time I saw her, something felt off,” the source said.
“You could sense something was going on. She was really frail and had been sick for a while.”
Page Six similarly heard that Trachtenberg appeared to be in “bad shape” at the time.
Additionally, one of her neighbours Ariana Rodriguez described the Harriet the Spy star as “svelte” in her final days, claiming she looked “less and less like herself”.
Concerned social media users frequently commented on Trachtenberg’s appearance in her final year — and she clapped back in January 2024.
“Explain to me how I look sick,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “Did you lose a calendar and not realise I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment”.
In another retort, Trachtenberg added, “I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters”.
Her former co-stars, including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Blake Lively, honoured her on the platform last week with touching tributes.
Gellar, 47, mourned Trachtenberg with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer quote, while Lively, 37, remembered the “fiercely loyal” star’s “electricity”.
Trachtenberg’s cause of death has been ruled “undetermined,” as her family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons.
This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.
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