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Leighton Meester has spoken out for the first time about the tragic passing of Michelle Trachtenberg.
The veteran actress, best known for her roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, died in February at the young age of 39.
After keeping her health struggles a secret for years, Trachtenberg died from complications due to diabetes.
Now, about three months after this painful loss, Meester has something to say about her former co-star.
“It’s devastating,” Meester told Flaunt Magazine this week. “She was a wonderful, talented person, and everyone loved her. It’s very, very sad for everyone who knew her.”
Meester is also 39 years old.
Looking back at Gossip Girl — which ran for six seasons from 2007 to 2012 on The CW — Meester added that she now can see how the program’s legacy “continues — in some ways, even more so than back then — to live on, which is incredible.”
Trachtenberg was found dead (by her mother, sadly) in a New York City apartment on February 26. The manner of death was ruled as natural.
On Gossip Girl, Meester portrayed the character of Blair Waldorf while Trachtenberg played troublemaker Georgina Sparks.
In the wake of the latter’s unexpected death, many of her ex-colleagues shared notes of sympathy and shock.
“What I remember of her is she was incredibly quick to laugh,” Penn Badgley said, for example. “She was really joyous. We all have our ups and downs, our lights and shadows, but she had this — I mean, she was mature, but she had this childlike, joyous laugh.”
And for Blake Lively, she said this winter that she’ll always remember Trachtenberg’s “electricity,” adding via Instagram:
“You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed.
“She laughed the fullest at someone’s joked, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”
Most of all, though, Lively said she’ll keep close to her heart how Trachtenberg “always had yummy caramel smelling lipgloss on.”
“Because she didn’t just want to sparkle on camera,” Lively explained. “She liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details.”
We continue to send our thoughts to the friends, family members and loved ones of Michelle Trachtenberg. May she rest in peace.
