Michelle Trachtenberg’s Friends on Actress’ Health Issues Before She Died

Michelle Trachtenberg tragically died February 26 at just 39 years old, and now her friends are speaking out to Us Weekly about her health issues in recent years.

Trachtenberg had reportedly undergone a liver transplant within the last year, with one friend telling the magazine, “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 the scarring of the liver. 

“Major causes of cirrhosis leading to liver failure and liver transplant include Hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease, which causes damage to the liver due to excessive alcohol consumption, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease… genetic diseases affecting the liver, diseases that affect the tubes that carry bile away from the liver.”

The friend said of Michelle, “She did drink, but not excessively in public. She was never the type to party hard. In the end, she was more of a recluse.”

The source said Michelle’s health had been deteriorating for some time, saying, “She had back issues, and then bone problems and she also fell a few times. Whenever we spoke, there was something medically wrong.”

Another insider added, “Michelle was thrown a lot of curveballs with her health, but she did her best not to let it get her down.”

One industry insider recalled the last time they saw Trachtenberg, “Something felt off,” adding, “You could sense something was going on. She was really frail and had been sick for a while.” 

The actress was spotted at Soho’s Sartiano’s restaurant on February 20. A source told the mag of that sighting, “Something seemed off about her.” 

Her neighbor Ariana Rodriguez said the “Gossip Girl” star looked “svelte” and looked “less and less like herself.”

Meanwhile, a source recently told People magazine that Trachtenberg was “really down emotionally” and battling “health issues” in her last year alive.

They said, “She told friends she was struggling. She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling.”

It has been revealed that Trachtenberg’s family has decided against an autopsy to determine her cause of death. 

The medical examiner told TMZ that if there were any doubts or suspected criminal activity regarding her death, an autopsy would be performed regardless of the family’s wishes. In this case, her death didn’t raise any red flags.