Rosie O’Donnell Opens Up About Michelle Trachtenberg’s Struggles Before She Died

Rosie O’Donnell is opening up to Variety about her “Harriet the Spy” co-star Michelle Trachtenberg and how she tried to help the actress toward the end of her life.

In February 2025, Trachtenberg was found dead at age 39 in her NYC apartment.

Rosie said of losing Michelle, “It was a tragedy. She was a real genius child who was able to memorize anything, pick up her lines, you could improvise with her, and she was connected and right there. She was so close to her mother, Lana, and her sister, who’s a ballerina. They were a very loving family, and then, you know, she got into drugs and alcohol, I believe, and then I lost touch with her.”

O’Donnell recalled, “In the last few years, when she was in pretty bad shape, she would call me and we would talk. 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.”

The comedian said there were three or four occasions where she made plans with Michelle to meet at a restaurant or at Rosie’s house, but the star never showed up.

“I would call her and go, ‘Honey, are you heading over?’ and she’d go, ‘Was that today?’ She was not in good shape. I didn’t think that she would die,” Rosie said. “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 seriously.”

Looking back, O’Donnell said, “I wish I could have done more. I tried to help her as much as I could, but she was inaccessible toward the end, and it was tragic.”

She compared Michelle to Whitney Houston, who died in February 2012.

Rosie said with Whitney, “Everyone knew what was going on, but no one was willing to say something, and often because the people that are closest to you are employed by you.”

She knew Whitney had a serious problem when she didn’t show up to appear on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” to promote “Cinderella.”

“It was supposed to be a whole hour with her and Brandy, and she didn’t show up just a few minutes before the show went live. I said to [her team] after the show, ‘This is her legacy, and if she dies, it’s on your watch,’” Rosie recalled.

Reflecting on her own family, the 64-year-old said, “It’s horrible, and addiction has hit my family, too. I have a daughter who’s addicted. She’s been sober a year and a half and she’s currently in prison, sadly, but she was born addicted to drugs and never really had a fair shake. It’s very serious and there are millions of families in America going through the same thing.”

In April 2025, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Trachtenberg died a natural death of complications from diabetes.

Though her family declined an autopsy, lab results were used to determine the cause of death.

Previously, Michelle’s friends opened up about her health issues.

Trachtenberg had reportedly undergone a liver transplant within the year before she died, with one friend telling Us Weekly, “She was very open with those close to her about having the transplant, but she never went into detail.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, a liver transplant is typically required due to cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver.