Michelle Trachtenberg addressed fans’ concerns over her ‘yellow eyes’ before her death
The Buffy and Gossip Girl star has died aged 39.
Michelle Trachtenberg responded to fans after they expressed concerns over her appearance before her death.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the actress, best-known for her roles in TV Shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, and films including Ice Princess, had died at the age of 39.
Trachtenberg was reportedly found by her mother around 8am local time in a luxury apartment complex in New York. She was found ‘unconscious and unresponsive’ by police, who said that her death is not being investigated as suspicious.
Stars who worked with her including Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Alyson Hannigan, Kim Cattrall and Rosie O’Donnell have paid tribute, with Lively – who worked with her on teen drama Gossip Girl – writing: ‘She was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.’
According to People, Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant months before her death.
In January last year, the Hollywood star fired back at ‘haters’ after facing frequent comments about her appearance on social media.
The actress responded after fans expressed concerns over her ‘yellow eyes’ last year (Picture: Michelle Trachtenberg/Instagram)After posting a selfie, she wrote in her caption: ‘Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have [to] hate? Get a calendar.’
The previous week, she posted another picture of herself on Instagram while getting her hair done at a salon in Beverly Hills, which prompted some of her fans to question if she was ‘sick’.
An Instagram user called @catchy_critz wrote at the time: ‘Michelle [you] look sick. [Are you] ok?’
The actress responded to the comment directly, writing: ‘@cathy_critz explain to me how I look sick. Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14? I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.’
The following day, she uploaded another image with her newly-dyed pink-tipped hairstyle, along with a defiant caption.
One of the late actress’s best-known roles was as Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Picture: 20th Century Fox Television/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)‘I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery. I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,’ she penned.
However, as she shared more photos, fans insisted they weren’t concerned about plastic surgery or malnutrition, but instead they were worried about the star’s ‘thinning hair and eyes’.
As detailed by the NHS, the whites of someone’s eyes (or their skin) turning yellow is a symptom of jaundice.
The organisation added that it ‘can be a sign of something serious, such as liver disease’.
‘I really don’t think anyone was implying you had plastic surgery. We are generally concerned about you. Your eyes are yellow, your hair is [thinning] majorly, you look sick,’ wrote fan @heather_mcgillick.
‘Nobody is talking about plastic surgery. They are talking about your liver shutting down,’ added @efm850916, while @go.lden7541 said: ‘People are just worried that your eyes are yellow and all your hair is falling out. I think they are worried for your health.’
It’s been reported that Trachtenberg had a liver transplant months before her death (Picture: Michelle Trachtenberg/Instagram)Others came to Trachtenberg’s defence, urging people to ‘stop’ commenting on her appearance.
From 2000 until 2003, the actress played the role of Dawn Summers – the younger sister of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers – in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
She was later cast as socialite Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, a role she played for four years, and went on to reprise in the recent reboot.
One of her most celebrated film roles was in the 2005 movie Ice Princess, while she also appeared in EuroTrip and 17 Again.
An earlier version of this article was originally published on January 22 2024.
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