'Buffy' star Michelle Trachtenberg found dead at 39, cause of death revealed

Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at 39, per reports.

According to the New York Post, the actress was found in her New York City apartment early Wednesday morning by her mother.

Police responded to a call around 8 a.m. at One Columbus Place, a luxury high-rise near Central Park, where they found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive.”

She was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS workers, the NYPD confirmed.

While the cause of death has not been officially disclosed, authorities do not suspect foul play and instead determined the cause of death as "natural causes," per the Daily Mail. 

According to the Post, she had recently undergone a liver transplant.

Trachtenberg’s career began at a young age, landing her first role on Law & Order in 1991. She gained early recognition as Nona Mecklenberg on Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete, before her breakout role as Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 2000 to 2003.

Her portrayal of Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl cemented her as a fan-favorite villain, with the character making waves throughout the show’s six-season run from 2007 to 2012.