Leighton Meester Breaks Silence on Michelle Trachtenberg’s Death: ‘Devastating’

Leighton Meester is speaking out on Michelle Trachtenberg’s death for the first time. In an interview with Flaunt magazine published May 6, the actress shared a few words about her former “Gossip Girl” costar. “It’s devastating. She was a wonderful, talented person, and everyone loved her. It’s very, very sad for everyone who knew her,” she said, adding, “Now, I can see that [the show’s legacy] continues—in some ways, even more so than back then—to live on, which is incredible.” Trachtenberg died on Feb. 26 at age 39. Last month, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shared in a statement to Access Hollywood that the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star’s cause of death had been amended after reviewing laboratory results, determining that she died from complications of diabetes mellitus. The statement added that the manner of her death was natural.