In an unexpected plot twist that even Gossip Girl couldn’t have written, Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death has been officially stamped as… drumroll please… “undetermined.” That’s right, medical examiners have no clue. None. Zilch. It’s like trying to figure out why your ex still watches your Instagram stories but won’t text back—a complete enigma.
According to a spokeswoman from New York City’s medical examiner’s office (aka the people who are supposed to know these things), Michelle’s death certificate now features the vague and very unsatisfying label of “undetermined” in both cause and manner. Basically, they shrugged, wrote it down, and went home.
So, why the mystery? Well, Michelle’s family was not about that autopsy life. New York’s public health law respects the wishes of next of kin, meaning the medical examiner had to stick to an external examination only. And let’s be real—without an autopsy, determining cause of death is kind of like trying to diagnose car trouble without opening the hood. Not gonna happen.
Michelle tragically passed away at just 39 years old in her Manhattan apartment, with her mother discovering her on the morning of February 26. Fans will always remember her for stealing scenes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and spilling elite-level tea on Gossip Girl.
While her passing remains a heartbreaking mystery, one thing is for sure—Michelle’s legacy is anything but “undetermined.”
