Rosie O’Donnell has spoken out about the struggles her former "Harriet the Spy" co-star Michelle Trachtenberg faced in the years before her death, calling her loss a "tragedy."

In an interview with Variety, O'Donnell recounted that Trachtenberg, who died in February 2025 at age 39, would call her for conversations during difficult periods. O'Donnell also spoke with Trachtenberg's mother, who confirmed the extent of her struggles.

"In the last few years, when she was in pretty bad shape, she would call me and we would talk," O'Donnell told Variety. "I also called her mother to find out what was going on, and her mother told me what was happening, and how long it had been happening."

O'Donnell recalled instances where Trachtenberg would miss planned meetings, sometimes appearing disoriented about the scheduled times. "We were supposed to see each other three or four times, and she just never showed up — sometimes at restaurants, other times at my house where we’d had someone prepare the whole meal. I would call her and go, ‘Honey, are you heading over?’ and she’d go, ‘Was that today?’ She was not in good shape."

O'Donnell expressed regret, stating, "I wish I could have done more for her. I tried to help her as much as I could, but she was inaccessible toward the end, and it was tragic."

Describing Trachtenberg as a child actor, O'Donnell noted her talent, saying, "She was a real genius child who was able to memorize anything, pick up her lines, you could improvise with her, and she was connected and right there."

O'Donnell stated that Trachtenberg was "so close to her mother, Lana, and her sister, who’s a ballerina," and that they were "a very loving family" before the actress "got into drugs and alcohol, I believe" and O'Donnell "lost touch with her."

O'Donnell admitted she did not anticipate Trachtenberg's death. "With most people suffering from addiction, their loved ones think that they’ll survive it, but you can die from your addiction to drugs or alcohol, and it happens too often that it must be taken seriously," she said.

Trachtenberg's death was attributed to complications from diabetes mellitus. She had undergone a liver transplant prior to her passing. Less than a week before her death, Trachtenberg was reportedly seen at an Italian restaurant appearing frail and having difficulty walking.

In January 2024, after fans expressed concern over her appearance in an Instagram photo, Trachtenberg had responded, stating she was "healthy and happy" and had never had plastic surgery.