Rosie O’Donnell is opening up the death of her former co-star Michelle Trachtenberg.
Michelle died in February 2025 at the age of 39 after being found found unresponsive in her NYC apartment. While it was reported that her family objected to an autopsy, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner later said that the Gossip Girl actress died “naturally as a result of complications from diabetes mellitus.”
No foul play was suspected and the late actress was believed to have died of natural causes. There was also a report that prior to her death, she had underwent a liver transplant
In a new interview with Variety published on Thursday (July 16), the 64-year-old comedian – who starred with Michelle in the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy – shared some insight into the years leading up to the actress’ death, alleging that Michelle struggled with addiction.
“She got into drugs and alcohol, I believe, and then I lost touch with her,” Rosie said.
As she called Michelle‘s death “a tragedy,” Rosie said, “I didn’t think that she would die. With most people suffering from addiction, their loved ones think that they’ll survive it, but you can die from your addiction to drugs or alcohol, and it happens too often that it must be taken.”
“In the last few years, when she was in pretty bad shape, she would call me and we would talk,” Rosie also shared in the interview. “I also called her mother to find out what was going on, and her mother told me what was happening, and how long it had been happening.”
“We were supposed to see each other three or four times, and she just never showed up — sometimes at restaurants, other times at my house where we’d had someone prepare the whole meal,” she recalled. “I would call her and go, ‘Honey, are you heading over?’ and she’d go, ‘Was that today?’ She was not in good shape.”
Rosie also said that she wishes she “could have done more” for Michelle, adding, “I tried to help her as much as I could, but she was inaccessible toward the end, and it was tragic.”
Following Michelle‘s death, one of her friends opened up about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress’ “reclusive” final years and explained why she decided to step away from Hollywood.
Posted To:Michelle Trachtenberg Rosie O Donnell