Leighton Meester has finally opened up about losing her good friend and Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg in a recent interview.

The 39-year-old actress described Trachtenberg’s death in February as ‘devastating.’

She weighed in on the Harriet The Spy star’s pᴀssing after the announcement of her cause of death last month, despite an early request from her family to keep the details secret.

In a new profile for Flaunt, Leighton described Michelle — who died at 39, the same age as her — as ‘a wonderful, talented person.’

‘It’s devastating,’ she said of the loss, adding that ‘everyone loved her.’

‘It’s very, very sad for everyone who knew her,’ Leighton said.

Leighton Meester has finally opened up about losing her good friend and Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg in a recent interview with Flaunt. Trachtenberg died in February at 39 — the same age as Leighton; pictured together in 2010 in NYC

She starred on Gossip Girl as one of the leads alongside Blake Lively from 2007 to 2012.

Her character, Blair Waldorf, is introduced as a student at an elite private high school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Her status as a socialite makes her a regular fixture in the writings of the anonymous gossip blogger known as Gossip Girl.

Read MoreBREAKING NEWS Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death is FINALLY revealed after family objected to autopsy

Leighton’s portrayal as the frenemy to Blake’s character Serena van der Woodsen made her a hit with critics and fans alike.

Michelle played the recurring character Georgina Sparks, a former friend of Blake’s character who was introduced in the first season.

While speaking to Flaunt, Leighton said that she developed ‘lifelong friendships’ while shooting the series, which helped launch her, Blake and costar Penn Badgley to fame.

‘Now, I can see that [the show’s legacy] continues — in some ways, even more so than back then — to live on, which is incredible,’ she said fondly.

Leighton went on to marry another staple of teen shows, The OC star Adam Brody, in 2014 after less than a year together.

Leighton described Michelle as ‘a wonderful, talented person.’ ‘It’s devastating,’ she said of the loss, adding that ‘everyone loved her’; seen together on the Gossip Girl set in 2009 in NYC

‘It’s very, very sad for everyone who knew her,’ Leighton said; pictured together in 2008 in NYC

She starred on Gossip Girl as one of the leads alongside Blake Lively from 2007 to 2012. She played Blair Waldorf, while Michelle played recurring character Georgina Sparks, a former friend of Blake’s character who was introduced in the first season; seen in 2008

Leighton went on to marry another staple of teen shows, The OC’s Adam Brody, in 2014 after less than a year together. They shared nine-year-old daughter Arlo and a son born in 2020 whose name they have never publicly revealed; pictured in February in LA

A year later they welcomed their first child, nine-year-old daughter Arlo, and in 2020 they welcomed their second child, a son, though the secretive parents have never publicly revealed his name.

Her former costar Trachtenberg’s cause of death was revealed on April 16, after her family relented on their desire to have her autopsy results withheld, which they attributed to religious beliefs.

The Harriet The Spy star was determined to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

Read More Who was Michelle Trachtenberg’s boyfriend Jay Cohen? Actress dies aged 39

Officials cited lab results in declaring their findings to Dailymail.com. It was not immediately clear if the entertainer, who had struggled with health issues in the timeframe prior to her pᴀssing, had type 1 or type 2 diabetes. 

In the timeframe prior to her death, Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant, a procedure often sought out by people who have severe liver issues, with some as a result of longtime alcohol use (the most common reason people get liver transplants in the US, studies indicate). 

Trachtenberg’s cause of death was classified as ‘natural,’ medical examiners said in their latest report.  

Authorities with the New York Police Department told Dailymail.com in February that they were summoned to a Manhattan apartment in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, where Trachtenberg was ‘unconscious and unresponsive.’

Following Trachtenberg’s tragic pᴀssing, authorities told Dailymail.com about the course of events that unfolded.

Trachtenberg’s cause of death was revealed on April 16, after her family relented on their desire to have her autopsy results withheld , which they attributed to religious beliefs

The Harriet The Spy star was determined to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She previously had a liver transplant; seen in 2008

‘On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 08:01 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,’ police said in a statement,’ police said. 

They added, ‘Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.

‘Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.’ 

Trachtenberg was romantically involved with boyfriend Jay Cohen, a partner at The Gersh Agency who is focused on film and distribution. They had been seeing one another since 2020 and would compliment one another on social media frequently. 

The entertainment industry professional after his partner’s pᴀssing told DailyMail.com that ‘the family will not be commenting on the tragedy.’  

Trachtenberg generally was not one to speak publicly on her private medical battles.