Rosie O’Donnell Says ‘Harriet the Spy’ Co-Star Michelle Trachtenberg ‘Struggled’ Before Her Death

Michelle Trachtenberg reportedly “struggled” in the years before her death. After the actress was found unresponsive in her New York City apartment Wednesday at the age of 39, her Harriet the Spy co-star Rosie O’Donnell gave insight in the star’s final years as she mourned the “heartbreaking” loss.

“Heartbreaking,” O’Donnell told Us Weekly in a statement. “I loved her very much. She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped.”

Trachtenberg was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Midtown West apartment just after 8 a.m. Wednesday. The New York Police Department confirmed that officials responded to a 911, and “upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.” Trachtenberg’s representative later confirmed her passing in a statement, per Today, adding, “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”

Trachtenberg cause of death is not known at this time, but she reportedly underwent a liver transplant prior to her passing, police sources told ABC 7. The outlet reported that her liver transplant may have led to “complications.”

The actress never publicly disclosed any health battles, but in January she responded to fans who expressed concerns for her health after they noted a drastic change in her appearance. At the time, Trachtenberg said, “Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have to hate? Get a calendar.”

“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance,” she wrote in another Instagram post. “I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.”

Trachtenberg rose to fame as a child actor in the ‘90s. After starring in the Nickelodeon show Adventures of Pete & Pete, she co-starred opposite O’Donnell in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy. The movie was an adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 novel of the same name, and Trachtenberg’s role as Harriet M. Welsch, which she landed after beating out over 350 preteens who also auditioned for the part, marked her first big screen credit.

Following her passing, J. Smith-Cameron, who starred in the movie as Trachtenberg’s onscreen mother Violetta Welsch, also paid tribute to the late star, recalling how “she was so excited” to the land the role and how “her natural ebullient nature was ratcheted up into giddiness as she tried to learn how to handle all that came with that. She was a very charming little girl.” According to Vulture, Smith-Cameron added that “years later we found each other on social media and connected briefly. She was always very warm toward me. I feel very shocked and unsettled to hear of her passing.”