On what would have been her 40th birthday, Sarah Michelle Gellar paid a poignant tribute to her late Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Michelle Trachtenberg via Instagram. Gellar shared a throwback clip of the two embracing on set, set to “See You Again” by Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa, calling Trachtenberg both “little sister” and a profoundly talented presence.
In her caption, Gellar reflected on their journey together: “When you turned 16, it was hard not to still see you as the little girl I met on All My Children. When you turned 21, I had to teach myself to not see you as the little sister anymore.” She added, “I can’t imagine what 40 would have been like. This I know … it would be filled with love.”
Trachtenberg, who portrayed Dawn Summers on Buffy, tragically passed away in February 2025 at age 39. Her death was later ruled to stem from complications related to diabetes. Gellar’s tribute is more than a public remembrance—it’s a testament to the enduring bond formed between actresses who shared formative years both onscreen and off. Even in grief, she chose a message of love, memory, and gratitude: honoring the woman Michelle was and imagining the life she might have led.
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