‘She struggled… I wish I could’ve helped’: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Rosie O’Donnell share heartbreaking reactions to co-star’s death

Anyone who was a child in the mid-90s and the early 2000s is mourning the tragic passing of Michelle Trachtenberg at the age of just 39. The former child star is fondly remembered for her roles in everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Disney’s Ice Princess, not forgetting her iconic turn in Gossip Girl. Trachtenberg had taken a step back from the limelight in recent years, however, and in the wake of her death it’s becoming clear that this may have been due to ongoing health concerns. 

The much-missed actress’ Harriet the Spy co-star Rosie O’Donnell hinted at the personal struggles Trachtenberg had dealt with in recent times, with O’Donnell admitting that she wished she could’ve done more for her. “I loved her very much,” O’Donnell — who played Harriet’s beloved nanny in the 1996 film, which marked the then-10-year-old’s big-screen debut — said in a statement she released to the media following the sad news of Trachtenberg’s passing. “She struggled the last few years. I wish I could’ve helped.”

O’Donnell’s tear-jerking comments echo what an anonymous friend of the late star told People, with the source likewise saying that Trachtenberg had been “struggling” and for the past year had been “really down emotionally” as she faced “health issues” that had left her “really, really sick” and looking “pale, gaunt, and very thin.” It has yet to be announced what exactly the health issues the Inspector Gadget actress was facing were, although it has been confirmed that she recently underwent a liver transplant. It is believed she may have died from complications related to the procedure. 

In addition, Trachtenberg’s on-screen sister Sarah Michelle Gellar — who starred opposite her for three seasons on Buffy — finally broke her silence on Michelle’s passing on Thursday, Feb 27. In a post that is sure to reduce every Buffy fan to an emotional wreck, Gellar shared two screenshots of Buffy and Trachtenberg’s character, Dawn Summers, alongside a paraphrasing of one of the show’s most poignant quotes.

“Michelle, listen to me,” Gellar wrote, adapting a quote Buffy says to Dawn in the series’ season 5 finale, “The Gift.” She continued, “Listen. 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.”

Trachtenberg’s passing comes just a few weeks after Gellar announced that a Buffy revival was in the works, with herself attached to reprise her role and be involved creatively, over 20 years on from the series’ conclusion in 2003. As the reboot is only in the early stages of development at present, it’s currently unclear if there were any plans for Trachtenberg to return alongside her or if her death will impact the project in any way.

Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York apartment by her mother on Wednesday, Feb. 26. She is survived by her family and her boyfriend, talent agent Jay Cohen. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time.