A Spark Gone Too Soon

THE FORMER CHILD STAR'S FRIENDS GIVE INSIGHT INTO THE FINAL DAYS BEFORE HER SHOCKING DEATH AT 39 AND HIGHLIGHT HER LEGACY: SHE 'TOUCHED A GENERATION'

- By BRIANNE TRACY

A year ago Michelle Trachtenberg ignited concern on social media when she posted selfies that showed noticeable weight loss and signs of jaundice. But the actress, best known for her roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, was quick to shut down any worries, telling fans that she was "happy and healthy."

Her reassurance, along with the fact that she'd never publicly revealed any health issues, made it all the more shocking when the 39-year-old star was found "unconscious and unresponsive" in her apartment by the New York Police Department just after 8 a.m. on Feb. 26. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The New York City Chief Medical Examiner's Office ruled her cause of death “undetermined” after her family objected to an autopsy.