Sarah Michelle Gellar Shares Poignant Post To Mark One-Year Anniversary Of 'Buffy' Costar Michelle Trachtenberg's Death

It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since we lost Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg.

And on the one-year anniversary of her tragic death, Buffy herself Sarah Michelle Gellar posted a heartfelt tribute to her friend and colleague that has touched many fans.

Gellar posted a series of snapshots of Trachtenberg from her acting career and childhood, writing that she was "one of the lucky ones" to have known Trachtenberg for more than 30 years.

Gellar shared that before she played Buffy's sister Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the pair first met when Trachtenberg was a child actor on the long-running soap opera All My Children back in 1994, when she was just 9 and Gellar was 17.

From there, a long friendship was sparked. Gellar wrote:

"I watched you become a star with Harriet [the Spy]. You were great to my kids. Countless kids bdays you attended even though I’m sure you had somewhere cooler to be."

"But most of all, when I think of you, that smile that took up your entire face and brought so much joy to others is what comes to mind."

"You may not have been with us long enough, but we will make sure everyone remembers."

Trachtenberg was found dead in 2025 at just 39 following complications with diabetes mellitus. She had recently undergone a liver transplant prior to her passing.

Gellar previously posted a tribute to Trachtenberg last year, on what would have been her 40th birthday. In that post, she reminisced their big sister/little sister relationship.

She wrote:

"When you turned 16, it was hard not to still see you as the little girl I met on All My Children."

"When you turned 21, I had to teach myself to not see you as the little sister anymore"

"I can’t imagine what 40 would have been like. This I know… it would be filled with love. Happy birthday."

On Instagram, fans and colleagues of both actors were deeply touched by Gellar's tribute.

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Trachtenberg was best known for her roles on Buffy, Gossip Girl, and children's shows like Harriet the Spy after launching her career on classic Nickelodeon shows like The Adventures of Pete & Pete.