Michelle Trachtenberg cause of death undetermined, family objects to autopsy

An official cause of death will not be ascertained for Michelle Trachtenberg after the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl star’s family objected to an autopsy being performed.

A spokesperson for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City told Entertainment Weekly on Thursday that Trachtenberg’s cause of death and manner of death are therefore considered “undetermined.”

“Under law, families may object to autopsy for religious reasons and the medical examiner will honor the objection provided there is no suspicion of criminality,” the spokesperson said.

Trachtenberg was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in her New York apartment Wednesday morning, and emergency services subsequently pronounced her dead at the scene. She was 39.

Police said that “criminality [was] not suspected” in the investigation into Trachtenberg’s death.

A representative for the actress said her family requested privacy for their loss.

Though Trachtenberg’s work made her a public figure, she largely kept her personal life to herself, including her health. Sources told PEOPLE that she received a liver transplant a few months before her death.

In an Instagram post last year, Trachtenberg shot down rumors about her having cosmetic surgery or health issues. “I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery,” she wrote. “I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.” In another post the same week, she wrote, “Fun fact. This is my face. Not malnutrition no problems. Why do you have you hate? Get a calendar.”

Trachtenberg’s death prompted a number of tributes from her former costars, including Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively, who remembered the actress as someone who “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.”

In addition to Gossip Girl and Buffy, Trachtenberg’s screen credits included The Adventures of Pete & Pete, All My Children, Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess, EuroTrip, Weeds, Love Bites, Criminal Minds, and NCIS: Los Angeles.