Why Michelle Trachtenberg’s Death from Natural Causes Is So Unsettling

When Michelle Trachtenberg died suddenly at 39, some fans of the Buffy star speculated about suspicious circumstances. Her family declined an autopsy for religious reasons, so no cause of death was initially announced. But on Wednesday, April 17, officials announced diabetes mellitus as the cause, ruling it a natural death, according to People.

Endocrinologist Dr. Zinoviy Abelev told the outlet that many people “don’t even recognize the signs of diabetes.” The disease causes gradual damage to organs, heart, kidneys, liver, eyes, and blood vessels,” earning its reputation as a “silent killer.”

Sources told People that Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant a few months before her death for unknown reasons. According to Dr. Abelev, 30 percent of liver transplant recipients develop NODAT, or New Onset Diabetes After Transplant. “[Patients] are placed on chronic immunosuppressive medications and steroids called prednisone, and we do encounter patients on chronic steroid replacement having elevated blood sugar,” he told People. 

On The Toast, Jackie and Claudia Oshry discussed why Trachtenberg’s death struck them so intensely. “I remember, like, when it happened, around the same time as Gene Hackman,” says Claudia. “They were both so suspicious and so sad.” Learning that Trachtenberg’s death (as well as Hackman’s) was natural really threw her, she says, because “that’s not how the world is supposed to work—to die suddenly when you’re 39?” 

Millennials grew up watching Trachtenberg in Ice Princess, Harriet the Spy, and Gossip Girl, alongside Buffy. “Everything she did, she slayed,” says Jackie.

Losing an actor or actress who you admire is often upsetting, but we’re more accustomed to stars passing from drug use or accidents. The sad, medical realness of Trachtenberg’s death is especially impactful because it could happen to anyone. No wonder Jackie and Claudia were feeling it on a personal level. “She was ingrained in culture, especially for people our age,” says Jackie. 

The hosts send their love and well wishes to Trachtenberg’s family after this awful loss.

For more celebrity news, listen to The Toast.