Penn Badgley’s triumphant appearance Wednesday at the You season five premiere took a somber turn when he opened up about the loss of his former Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg.
Badgley, 38, looked stone-faced as he said the loss of his old friend at just 39 was ‘surreal’ while chatting with E! News.
He was weighing in just a week after the Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress’ cause of death was finally revealed, following her death on February 26.
Badgley said it was Trachtenberg’s lighter qualities that he most remembered after her passing.
‘What I remember of her is she was incredibly quick to laugh,’ he confessed on the red carpet at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
‘She was really joyous. We all have our ups and downs, our lights and shadows, but she had this — I mean, she was mature, but she had this childlike, joyous laugh,’ he continued.
Penn Badgley’s triumphant appearance Wednesday at the You season five premiere took a somber turn when he opened up about the loss of his former Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg; seen Wednesday in NYC
‘What I remember of her is she was incredibly quick to laugh,’ he confessed on the red carpet at the Plaza Hotel in New York City; pictured (L–R) Jessica Szohr, Leighton Meester, Badgley and Trachtenberg in 2008 in NYC
Sadly, the actor admitted that he and Trachtenberg hadn’t run in to each other ‘in over a decade, but he still spoke fondly of her and praised her ‘really pure heart.’
‘It’s surreal,’ he said while looking stunned. ‘Really surreal, really saddening.’
Trachtenberg played the recurring character Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl, while Badgley was part of the main cast as Dan Humphrey.
Georgina, a former friend of Blake Lively’s character, was introduced in the first season, when she had a brief fling with Dan.
The two continued to have romantic entanglements on and off throughout the series’ six seasons, though Georgina’s infatuation with Dan also covered for her desire to use him to manipulated her friends and enemies.
Trachtenberg’s cause of death was revealed on April 16, after her family relented on their desire to have her autopsy results withheld, which they attributed to religious beliefs.
The Harriet The Spy star was determined to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Officials cited lab results in declaring their findings to Dailymail.com. It was not immediately clear if the entertainer, who had struggled with health issues in the timeframe prior to her passing, had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
‘She was really joyous. We all have our ups and downs, our lights and shadows, but she had this — I mean, she was mature, but she had this childlike, joyous laugh,’ he continued; seen together in 2008 in NYC
Sadly, the actor admitted that he and Trachtenberg hadn’t run in to each other ‘in over a decade, but he still spoke fondly of her and praised her ‘really pure heart’; pictured in 2012 in NYC
Trachtenberg played the recurring character Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl. She had a longtime infatuation with Badgley’s character Dan Humphrey, though their flings were mostly to help her manipulate others; pictured in 2009 in NYC
The actress — who got her start as a child performer — was pictured weeks before her passing in an Instagram selfie
In the timeframe prior to her death, Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant, a procedure often sought out by people who have severe liver issues, with some as a result of longtime alcohol use (the most common reason people get liver transplants in the US, studies indicate).
Trachtenberg’s cause of death was classified as ‘natural,’ medical examiners said in their latest report.
Authorities with the New York Police Department told Dailymail.com in February that they were summoned to a Manhattan apartment in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, where Trachtenberg was ‘unconscious and unresponsive.’
Following Trachtenberg’s tragic passing, authorities told Dailymail.com about the course of events that unfolded.
‘On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 08:01 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,’ police said in a statement,’ police said.
They added, ‘Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.
‘Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.’
Trachtenberg’s cause of death was revealed on April 16, after her family relented on their desire to have her autopsy results withheld , which they attributed to religious beliefs
The Harriet The Spy star was determined to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She previously had a liver transplant; seen in 2008
Badgley looked more jubilant when he was focused on celebrating his hit show’s fifth and final season. He was joined by his pregnant wife Domino Kirke, who highlighted her baby bump in a stunning crimson dress
Penn and Domino began dating in 2014 and tied the knot in 2017. They welcomed their first child, a son named James, in August 2020, and the lovebirds announced they were expecting twins on March 1
Trachtenberg was romantically involved with boyfriend Jay Cohen, a partner at The Gersh Agency who is focused on film and distribution. They had been seeing one another since 2020 and would compliment one another on social media frequently.
The entertainment industry professional after his partner’s passing told DailyMail.com that ‘the family will not be commenting on the tragedy.’
Trachtenberg generally was not one to speak publicly on her private medical battles.
Badgley looked more jubilant when he was focused on celebrating his hit show’s fifth and final season.
He was joined by his pregnant wife Domino Kirke, who highlighted her baby bump in a stunning crimson dress.
Badgley, who plays a charismatic serial killer on You, looked stylish in a medium-brown double-breasted suit that he wore unbuttoned.
He affectionately placed a hand on his wife’s stomach as they posed.
Penn and Domino — who is the sister of Girls star Jemima Kirke — began dating in 2014 and tied the knot in 2017.
They welcomed their first child, a son named James, in August 2020, and the lovebirds announced they were expecting twins on March 1.
