FILE PHOTO: Actress Michelle Trachtenberg poses at the party for the launch of the Blackberry Torch in Los Angeles August 11, 2010. Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo

Author and executive producer Jessica Seinfeld, who is also the wife of Jerry Seinfeld, shared a heartfelt tribute to Jewish actress Michelle Trachtenberg on Wednesday, the same day that the “Gossip Girl” star was found dead at age 39 in her New York City apartment.

Jessica posted a photo of Trachtenberg on her Instagram Story and in the caption, she talked about the actress’ affinity to wear a Star of David and display Jewish pride.

“Michelle and I communicated recently about all she was doing to help the victims of the fires in Los Angeles. Last year she said, ‘I wear my David star proudly and my mom is worried,” wrote Jessica, who is the executive producer of the documentary “Daughters” on Netflix.  Jessica added the acronym for “Baruch Dayan Emet,” the Hebrew phrase typically said to mourn someone’s death, and used emojis to describe Trachtenberg as a Jewish queen before calling her someone “who never stopped living out our Jewish values to do good things for others.”

Trachtenberg was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in her apartment on Wednesday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the New York Police Department. While an investigation remains ongoing, no foul play has been suspected. The actress recently had a liver transplant but it unconfirmed if the transplant played a role in her death. A source told People magazine that she was “really down emotionally” and had been dealing with “health issues” over the last year.

As a child actor, Trachtenberg starred in Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” and the soap opera “All My Children” in 1993. In 1996, she played the title character in “Harriet the Spy.” She then joined season five of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and stayed on until the show’s finale in 2003. From 2008 through 2012, Trachtenberg played Georgina Sparks on the television series “Gossip Girl.” She reprised the role in 2023 for two episodes of the HBO Max reboot of the same title, and that was her last onscreen appearance.

Several of Trachtenberg’s former costars from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” paid tribute to her following her death, including Sarah Michelle Gellar. On “Buffy,” Trachtenberg played Dawn Summers, the younger sister to Gellar’s character, Buffy Summers. When Gellar’s character sacrificed herself in the season five finale, she told her kid sister, “Dawn, the hardest thing in the world is to live in it. Be brave. Live — for me.”

On Thursday, Gellar shared in an Instagram post a carousel of photos from her time with Trachtenberg on the set of “Buffy.” In the caption, Gellar quoted from the season five finale episode of “Buffy” and wrote to Trachtenberg: “Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.”

Fellow “Buffy” star Alyson Hannigan also honored Trachtenberg’s memory in an Instagram post. She wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing. She brought a loving energy to the set of ‘Buffy.’ My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends.” “Buffy” star David Boreanaz shared his condolences in an Instagram Story and James Marsters, who played the vampire Spike on the television show, praised his costar in a statement given to People magazine.

“My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul,” he said. “Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny and a very talented person. She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her,” he continued. “My heart goes out to her family, who are good people and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear. I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time. Godspeed Michelle. You are missed.”