More than a year after Michelle Trachtenberg’s death, Rosie O’Donnell is remembering her former co-star while reflecting on the struggles she believes Michelle faced during the final years of her life.
In a new interview with Variety, O’Donnell spoke candidly about her relationship with the late actress, whom she first met while filming the 1996 family classic Harriet the Spy. Their connection, which began when Michelle was a child star, continued long after production wrapped, though Rosie said they eventually lost touch before reconnecting in the years leading up to Michelle’s death.
Michelle died in February 2025 at the age of 39 after she was found unresponsive in her New York City apartment. At the time, authorities reported that no foul play was suspected.
Although Michelle’s family objected to an autopsy for religious reasons, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner later determined that the actress died naturally as a result of complications from diabetes mellitus. Reports published around the time of her death also indicated that she had recently undergone a liver transplant.
During her conversation with Variety, Rosie shared her personal recollections of Michelle’s later years and alleged that the actress had been dealing with addiction. Those comments reflect O’Donnell’s own perspective and have not been independently confirmed.
“She got into drugs and alcohol, I believe, and then I lost touch with her,” Rosie said.
Looking back, O’Donnell described Michelle’s death as deeply heartbreaking.
“I didn’t think that she would die. With most people suffering from addiction, their loved ones think that they’ll survive it, but you can die from your addiction to drugs or alcohol, and it happens too often that it must be taken.”
Rosie also recalled reconnecting with Michelle during the final years of her life, saying they spoke by phone on multiple occasions. Concerned about how Michelle was doing, she said she also reached out to the actress’ mother in hopes of better understanding the situation.
“In the last few years, when she was in pretty bad shape, she would call me and we would talk,” Rosie shared. “I also called her mother to find out what was going on, and her mother told me what was happening, and how long it had been happening.”
She went on to describe several attempts to spend time together that ultimately never happened.
“We were supposed to see each other three or four times, and she just never showed up — sometimes at restaurants, other times at my house where we’d had someone prepare the whole meal,” she recalled. “I would call her and go, ‘Honey, are you heading over?’ and she’d go, ‘Was that today?’ She was not in good shape.”
For Rosie, those memories have been accompanied by lingering feelings that she wishes she could have done more.
“I tried to help her as much as I could, but she was inaccessible toward the end, and it was tragic.”
Their friendship dated back nearly three decades.
When Harriet the Spy premiered in 1996, Michelle was just beginning what would become a successful acting career. She went on to star in beloved projects including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ice Princess, EuroTrip and Gossip Girl, building a loyal fan following across multiple generations of viewers.
Rosie, meanwhile, often spoke fondly over the years about working with Michelle as a child, praising her professionalism and talent at such a young age.
Her latest interview paints a picture of someone still processing the loss of a friend she first knew as a young actress full of promise. While Michelle’s official cause of death has been determined by the Medical Examiner, Rosie’s reflections focus on her own memories, the conversations they shared and the heartbreak she continues to feel after losing someone who remained important to her long after their first film together.
