Sarah Michelle Gellar honors Buffy little sister Michelle Trachtenberg in emotional tribute

Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage

(L-R) Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg at the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reunion in 2008.

Michelle Trachtenberg played Buffy Summers's little sister, Dawn Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Bernardo Sim

Deputy Editor

Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.

You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. Otherwise, you can find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.

Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.

You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. Otherwise, you can find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.

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Bernardo Sim

February 27 2025 1:09 PM EST

February 27 2025 1:18 PM EST

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Sarah Michelle Gellar has shared an incredibly emotional statement about the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, her costar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

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39-year-old Trachtenberg was reportedly found dead earlier this week. Besides starring in Gossip Girl and Harriet the Spy, the actress was well known for playing Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Trachtenberg's character, Dawn Summers, was the little sister of the titular character (played by Gellar).

Gellar shared the following statement:

“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you [heartbroken emojis; key emoji]."

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News of Trachtenberg's passing sent shockwaves across Buffy fans. Given that many LGBTQ+ audiences consider Buffy as a revolutionary series for LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media, several queer fans and celebs are now also mourning this loss.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured characters like Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson), who were a lesbian couple on the show.

Sending our condolences to Michelle Trachtenberg's loved ones and fans.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Hulu.