Michelle Trachtenberg Fans Blast Online Trolls Who Mocked ‘Harriet the Spy’ Actress as She Recovered from Liver Transplant
Bereaved fans of Michelle Trachtenberg are lashing out against internet trolls who criticized the actress’s appearance in recent months following the news that the 39-year-old star had undergone a liver transplant prior to her passing on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The former child actress, best known for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gossip Girl,” and “Harriet the Spy,” was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at her Manhattan luxury apartment by her mother around 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to police reports shared with ABC News.
The New York Post reports that its anonymous insiders say Trachtenberg had received a liver transplant within the past year, and her body may have rejected the organ.
Some noticed signs that her eyes were yellow and she was visibly thinner. However, rather than show compassion, they made negative comments online about how she looked. Many of those comments included implications that the actress may have been on drugs like, “Heroin addiction is so sad” and “Say no to drugs.” Others commented that she looked older.
As news of her health struggles emerged, social media erupted with anger directed at online critics who had left cruel comments about Trachtenberg’s appearance on her earlier Instagram posts.
“And f—k these people who were leaving nasty comments on Michelle Trachtenberg’s Instagram when she just had a liver transplant and was still in recovery,” one X user tweeted in the aftermath of her announcement.
And fuck these people who were leaving nasty comments on Michelle Trachtenberg’s Instagram when she just had a liver transplant and was still in recovery pic.twitter.com/oaJR6chup1
— la bella vita (@drugproblem) February 26, 2025
Another added, “The internet strikes again… when will they learn to stop speaking on people’s looks unprovoked.”
Several users drew parallels to the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who faced similar appearance-based criticism before his passing from colon cancer.
One person stated, “They did the same thing with Chadwick Boseman.”
“I wish ppl would normalize keeping nasty opinions to yourselves,” another tweet read.
What many fans found particularly disturbing was that Trachtenberg had directly responded to the criticism just weeks before her passing.
In January, the actress posted selfies that prompted speculation about her health, with people coming up with all kinds of theories about what was going on with her.
This prompted her to clap back.
“Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have you hate? Get a calendar,” she captioned, addressing her haters.
In a separate post, she continued aim at her the negative comments, “I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.”
In retrospect, these exchanges have taken on a more tragic dimension.
Some fans noted that photos from recent months showed a slight yellowish tint in Trachtenberg’s eyes — a potential symptom of liver problems that some commenters had cruelly interpreted as evidence of drug use or an eating disorder.
I will not forget the way stupid ass pop culture accounts on here and on tiktok talking about Michelle Trachtenberg last summer and how bad people were criticizing her appearance and asking why she “aged so bad”
when you could tell she was sick with jaundice
— Emmy (@somekindofsin) February 26, 2025
ABC News reported that her liver transplant may have led to “complications,” though the official cause has not been confirmed. The NYPD stated that “criminality is not suspected.”
In response to the news of Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing, former co-stars have shared heartfelt tributes and memories. Rosie O’Donnell, who co-starred with Trachtenberg in “Harriet the Spy,” expressed her sorrow, released in a statement, “Heartbreaking. I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”
David Boreanaz, known for his role alongside Trachtenberg in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” took to Instagram, writing, “So very sad… horrible news. RIP and prayers to her and her family.”
Actress Melissa Gilbert remembered Trachtenberg with a heartfelt message, posting a photo from their 1996 film “Holiday for Love” and writing, “Oh Michy…and we lived so close to one another…..my heart aches for your family and all those who loved you so…”
Trachtenberg began her career as a child actor before becoming a teen star on “Buffy” and later transitioning to adult roles, most notably as the manipulative Georgina Sparks on “Gossip Girl.”
Her final onscreen appearance came in 2023 when she reprised the Georgina role for two episodes of the Max reboot.
She is survived by her mother and her longtime boyfriend, talent agent and producer Jay Cohen, who has two adult daughters from a previous relationship.
