Gellar honors Trachtenberg on would-be 40th birthday

Sarah Michelle Gellar posted an emotional tribute on Instagram on October 11, marking what would have been the 40th birthday of her former Buffy the Vampire Slayer costar Michelle Trachtenberg, who died in February. The post, accompanied by a clip of the two characters embracing on Buffy and set to Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa's See You Again, reflected on their long friendship and the career they shared.

Gellar wrote that when Trachtenberg turned 16 she still seemed like the "little girl I met on All My Children," and that by 21 she had to "teach myself to not see you as the little sister anymore." She added, "I can't imagine what 40 would have been like. This I know it would be filled with love. Happy birthday michelletrachtenberg." The post drew widespread responses from fans and colleagues remembering Trachtenberg's work and the bond between the actresses.

Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her Midtown Manhattan apartment on February 26, 2025. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York later ruled her death natural, due to complications of diabetes mellitus. She began acting as a child and joined Buffy in 2000 as Dawn Summers, the younger sister of...