Blake Lively is encouraging others to “hold those you love” close in the wake of her Gossip Girl costar Michelle Trachtenberg’s sudden death at age 39 on Feb. 26.
Lively, 37, shared a lengthy tribute to Trachtenberg on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, hours after the NYPD confirmed the latter’s death in New York City to PEOPLE. Trachtenberg and Lively both appeared on the 2007-2012 series, with Trachtenberg portraying bad girl Georgina Sparks, a frenemy to Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen.
“This was the first day I met Michelle,” wrote Lively in her caption, shared alongside a photo of the pair from Gossip Girl. “She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.”
Continued Lively, “She laughed the fullest at someone’s joke, she faced authority head on when she felt something was wrong, she cared deeply about her work, she was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes, she was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved, she was big and bold and distinctly herself.”
Lively recounted that Trachtenberg would wear “yummy caramel smelling lip gloss” while filming — a small act of kindness toward her scene partners, the actress explained. “She didn’t just want to sparkle on camera, she liked creating a nice experience for anyone who was in her orbit, even down to the subtle smell of her lipgloss because she cared about the sweet details.”
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Calling Trachtenberg a “kind person, through and through,” Lively then lamented and alluded to a lost connection between the pair. “Time passes. You take for granted that you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday,” she wrote.
“The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle,” said Lively. “May her work and her huge heart be remember by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.”
The CW
Lively was not the only castmember of the beloved teen drama to honor Trachtenberg, who was also known for roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harriet the Spy. Other Gossip Girl stars including Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford also reacted to her death on social media.
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“Michelle was one of a kind,” Chace Crawford, who portrayed Nate Archibald, shared in the post. “I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it. She was a force of nature and just so so unapologetically funny and magnetic.. remembering those years with a big smile. Just a terrible loss. Love you ❤️”
Trachtenberg was found “unconscious and unresponsive” by police on Wednesday morning. A cause of death has not been confirmed. However, Trachtenberg had recently undergone a liver transplant, sources told PEOPLE. Another insider said that Trachtenberg had been dealing with “health issues.”
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