Penn Badgley Breaks Silence On Michelle Trachtenberg’s ‘Surreal’ Dying

Trachtenberg, greatest identified for her roles as Georgina Sparks on “Gossip Lady” and Daybreak Summers on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” was discovered useless in her New York Metropolis house on February 26 after going into cardiac arrest. She was simply 39 years outdated.

Two months after information of Trachtenberg’s demise broke, Penn Badgley opened up in regards to the loss.

Whereas talking with E! Information on the Season 5 premiere of Netflix’s “You” on Wednesday, the actor described the information as tough to course of.

“It’s surreal,” he mentioned. “Actually surreal, actually saddening.”

Whereas the 2 hadn’t seen one another in over a decade, Badgley mirrored warmly on their time working collectively and the lasting impression she left behind.

“What I keep in mind of her is she was extremely fast to chortle,” he shared. “She was actually joyous.”

He went on to explain her distinctive vitality, recalling, “All of us have our ups and downs, our lights and shadows, however she had this … I imply, she was mature, however she had this childlike, joyous chortle.”

Maybe most touching was how Badgley remembered Trachtenberg’s coronary heart.

“She had a extremely pure coronary heart,” he mentioned softly.

The actors shared display screen time on the hit CW drama “Gossip Lady,” the place Badgley performed Dan Humphrey for all six seasons from 2007 to 2012.

Trachtenberg’s scene-stealing character Georgina Sparks was launched in Season 2 and rapidly grew to become a fan-favorite troublemaker, even briefly sparking a romance with Badgley’s character onscreen.

Badgley’s emotional feedback come weeks after one other “Gossip Lady” alum, Blake Vigorous, additionally paid tribute to Trachtenberg with a robust message shared on her Instagram Tales.

Posting a screenshot of the 2 collectively, Vigorous recalled, “That is the primary day I met Michelle. She was electrical energy. You realize when she entered a room as a result of the vibration modified. The whole lot she did, she did 200%.”

“She laughed the fullest at somebody’s joke, she confronted authority head on when she felt one thing was unsuitable, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be part of this neighborhood and business as painful because it may very well be generally, she was fiercely loyal to her pals and courageous for these she cherished, she was huge and daring and distinctly herself,” Vigorous wrote.

She even shared a candy sensory reminiscence.

“She at all times had yummy caramel smelling lip gloss on as a result of she didn’t simply wish to sparkle on digital camera, she appreciated creating a pleasant expertise for anybody who was in her orbit,” she wrote. “Even right down to the refined scent of her lip gloss as a result of she cared in regards to the candy particulars.”

Vigorous emphasised, “She was a sort particular person, by means of and thru.”

Her tribute closed with a sobering reminder that, “Time passes. You are taking as a right that you simply get the possibility to see an outdated buddy. To paraphrase, the actual tragedies in life are those that blindside you on an idle Tuesday.”