Oscars Ripped for Leaving Michelle Trachtenberg out of Broadcast In Memoriam

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is facing backlash after their tribute to the stars and entertainment figures who died over the past year during Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards left one notable person out. Introduced by Morgan Freeman and set to a live performance of Mozart’s “Requiem – Lacrimosa,” the 2025 Oscars “In Memoriam” segment honored Gene Hackman, David Lynch, Jeff Baena, Donald Sutherland, and more. However, Oscars viewers were quick to notice that Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away at the age of 39 last week, was missing.

“Michelle trachtenberg not being mentioned in the in memoriam section of the oscars is upsetting,” one person wrote on X. “You are and will remain so so loved and admired michelle.”

Another Oscars viewer called the snub a “huge oversight,” as others slammed Trachtenberg’s omission as “disrespectful” and “shameful.” Somebody else asked, “is Michelle Trachtenberg in the memoriam? She deserved to be there #Oscars2025.” Although others acknowledged that the actress “was more famous for her TV roles,” they noted that “she did work in many films. And she deserved to be included in the In Memoriam.”

Trachtenberg rose to fame as a child star in the ‘90s. After getting her star in commercials at the age of 3, she went on to star as Nona Mecklenberg in the sitcom The Adventures of Pete & Pete from 1994 until 1996, and as aspiring writer and spy Harriet in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy. Later in her career, she became known for her roles as Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) younger sister Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks, aka “The Witch of the Upper East Side,” in Gossip Girl. Outside of Harriet the Spy, her other film credits included Ice Princesses, 17 Again, EuroTrip, Black Christmas, and more.

The actress was tragically found dead in her Midtown apartment on Feb. 26. She was 39. Her cause of death was ruled”undetermined” by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday, Feb. 27 after her family declined an autopsy.

Trachtenberg was not the only star snubbed from Sunday’s Oscars In Memoriam. Other stars omitted from the segment included Shannen Doherty, Tony Todd, Chance Perdomo, Alain Delon, Tony Roberts, Linda Lavin, James Darren, Mitzi Gaynor, Martin Mull, and Olivia Hussey.

Many of those not featured in Sunday’s broadcast were, however, included as part of the official “In Memoriam” database on The Academy’s website. A statement on the page reads, “The Academy honors friends and colleagues we lost over the last year. Take a moment to remember the artists and filmmakers we lost in 2024-2025.”