Sarah Michelle Gellar pays emotional tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg on first anniversary of her shock death

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It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we lost Michelle Trachtenberg. As a huge fan, it really touched me to see Sarah Michelle Gellar share such a sweet and heartfelt message remembering her former co-star. It was a beautiful tribute to Michelle, who passed away far too young at just 39.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram remembering her longtime friend, Charisma Carpenter, who passed away on February 26, 2025.

“It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year,” Gellar said. “I feel lucky to have over 30 years of memories with you. I remember when we first met on set, and then, not even a year later, you’d already grown taller than me!”

Gellar continued, saying that when she thinks of the person, she immediately remembers their radiant, joyful smile. Although their time with them was short, she promised that their memory would live on.

The actress also posted a collection of heartwarming, older photos, showing her and the person she was remembering happy together at events and on red carpets throughout the years.

One picture showed the pair smiling brightly as rising stars, and another captured them posing together with their arms around each other in front of a pink background.

Oh my gosh, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg were Buffy and Dawn Summers! I seriously can’t believe it’s been so long – Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally aired from 1997 to 2003, and those two just were those characters. They totally nailed the sister dynamic, it was amazing!

After Trachtenberg passed away last year, Gellar honored him by sharing a touching quote from the show they worked on together.

“Michelle, please listen. I love you, and I always will. Life is incredibly difficult, but I’ll be strong and keep going… for your sake,” she wrote back then.

Fans and fellow actors flooded the comments of her latest post with messages of support. 

One person affectionately called her ‘our Dawnie,’ while many others praised the memorial as ‘beautiful’ and expressed sadness that Trachtenberg had died at such a young age.

Trachtenberg’s cause of death was revealed in April 2025. 

The New York City Medical Examiner’s office stated that she died from complications related to diabetes.

Authorities shared lab results with the Daily Mail and determined the death was due to natural causes. It’s currently unknown if the individual had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

In the months prior to her passing, Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant.

On February 26, 2025, at around 8:01 a.m., New York City police responded to a 911 call at 1 Columbus Place in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, according to statements given to the Daily Mail.

Police reported that when they arrived at the scene, they found a 39-year-old woman unconscious and not responding. Paramedics arrived and pronounced her dead. Investigators don’t believe foul play was involved, and the Medical Examiner will investigate the cause of death.

Her relatives had cited religious reasons for not wanting the results of her autopsy made public.

When Trachtenberg passed away, she was dating Jay Cohen, a film and distribution partner at The Gersh Agency.

The couple had been dating since 2020 and frequently shared affectionate messages on social media. 

After her death, Cohen informed the Daily Mail that the family wished to refrain from making any public statements about the situation.

Sarah Michelle Gellar started her acting career as a young performer and became widely recognized for her roles in popular shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl.

From 2007 to 2012, she played Georgina Sparks, a manipulative and wealthy socialite, on the show alongside Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen.

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2026-02-26 22:19