Penn Badgley breaks silence over ‘Gossip Girl’ co star Michelle Trachtenberg's death

Penn Badgley is taking a moment to remember the bright spirit of his late Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg. While attending the premiere of You’s fifth and final season on April 23, the actor opened up about the recent loss that’s still hitting close to home.

“What I remember of her is she was incredibly quick to laugh,” Badgley shared during his chat with E! News. 

“She was really joyous. We all have our ups and downs, our lights and shadows, but she had this—I mean, she was mature, but she had this childlike, joyous laugh.”

Even though it had been over ten years since their paths last crossed, the memory of Michelle clearly hasn’t faded for the 38-year-old. 

“It’s surreal,” he said of her sudden passing. “Really surreal, really saddening.” Reflecting on her character, he added, “She was a really pure heart.”

Michelle Trachtenberg—known to many from her iconic role in Harriet the Spy and her time on Gossip Girl—was found dead in her apartment this February at just 39.

Her death was determined to be due to “complications of diabetes mellitus.”

The news struck a chord throughout the entertainment world, prompting heartfelt messages from many of her former costars. 

Blake Lively, who starred alongside her on Gossip Girl, honoured her in an emotional Instagram Story, writing, “She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200 percent.”