SD. Sarah Michelle Gellar Remembers ‘Little Sister’ Michelle Trachtenberg on First Posthumous Birthday
Sarah Michelle Gellar is remembering her longtime friend and Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Michelle Trachtenberg with an emotional tribute marking what would have been the actress’s 40th birthday.
On Saturday, October 11, Gellar, 48, shared a heartbreaking throwback video on Instagram featuring clips of her hugging Trachtenberg, set to Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again.” The tribute quickly drew an outpouring of love from fans mourning the loss of the actress, who died earlier this year.
“I Can’t Imagine What 40 Would Have Been Like”
In her caption, Gellar reflected on their decades-long friendship — one that began long before Buffy.
“When you turned 16, it was hard not to still see you as the little girl I met on All My Children,” Gellar wrote. “When you turned 21, I had to teach myself not to see you as the little sister anymore. I can’t imagine what 40 would have been like. This I know … it would be filled with love. Happy birthday, @michelletrachtenberg.”
The post, filled with nostalgic warmth and grief, included behind-the-scenes footage and candid moments that captured the close bond the two actresses shared both on and off screen.
A Bond Forged in Television History
Before they became known to a generation of fans as Buffy and Dawn Summers, the sisters at the heart of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gellar and Trachtenberg first met in the early 1990s on the set of the daytime soap All My Children.
Trachtenberg later joined Buffy in Season 5 (2000), playing Buffy’s younger sister — a role that cemented her as one of the most recognizable faces of early 2000s television. The series finale in 2003 featured a moving scene where Buffy sacrifices herself to save Dawn — a moment Gellar revisited in her tribute to honor their real-life connection.
A Sudden and Tragic Loss
Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment on February 26, 2025, at the age of 39, after police responded to a 911 call. Initially, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her cause of death as “undetermined,” following her family’s decision to object to an autopsy.
However, on April 16, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to PEOPLE that Trachtenberg’s death resulted from complications of diabetes mellitus, a disease that affects how the body processes blood sugar. Officials noted that the amended determination came after a review of toxicology testing results, which can be performed without an autopsy.
Gellar’s Grief and Final Goodbye
The day after Trachtenberg’s death, Gellar posted a heartfelt message alongside a carousel of photos from their time together on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Quoting a poignant moment from the show’s season 5 finale, she wrote:
“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.” 💔🗝️
The words — once delivered by Buffy to her on-screen sister Dawn — carried a new weight in the wake of Trachtenberg’s passing.
Fans and Friends Remember
Fans flooded social media with tributes, remembering Trachtenberg not only as the beloved Harriet the Spy and Gossip Girl actress, but also as a kind, witty, and genuine soul behind the scenes.
For Gellar, the loss remains deeply personal — a reminder of the bond forged through years of shared scripts, laughter, and sisterhood.
On what would have been her milestone 40th birthday, Gellar’s post served as both a remembrance and a promise: to keep living bravely, in honor of the girl she once called her little sister.
