The 97th Academy Awards were held just four days after Michelle Trachtenberg died at the age of 39, and many viewers slammed the awards show for not including the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum in the In Memoriam segment.

While several late stars were included in the segment honoring those who had passed away in the last year, several fans were quick to notice that Michelle was not honored at the event on Sunday, March 2. Soon after the In Memoriam segment ended, several viewers rushed to social media to call out the awards show.

“Oh f–k y’all for not including michelle trachtenberg. So disrespectful,” one person wrote via X, and another chimed in, “Michelle trachtenberg not being mentioned in the in memoriam section of the oscars is upsetting, you are and will remain so so loved and admired Michelle.”

The backlash continued as a third person wrote, “It’s shameful that the #Oscars didn’t include Michelle Trachtenberg in their memorial montage of all the actors/actresses who have passed within the year!!!!”

“Michelle Trachtenberg deserved to be shown and remembered in that Oscars in memoriam. That was actually so disrespectful and bullshit @TheAcademy what the f–k,” an additional person commented, while another fan wrote, “Absolute BULLS–T @TheAcademy! Michelle [Trachtenberg] influenced an entire generation and you don’t even think about including at least a picture in her memory on #Oscars ?!?! Zero excuse and bad form.”

A following social media user said, “The Oscars not honoring Michelle Trachtenberg in the memoriam is absolutely disgusting.”

Others celebrities that were left out of the In Memoriam segment include Tony Todd, Shannen Doherty, Chance Perdomo, Tony Roberts, Linda Lavin and Martin Mull.

The Gossip Girl alum was found dead in her New York City apartment on February 26, In Touch confirmed at the time.

“On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 0801 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,” a spokesperson for the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information for the New York Police Department said at the time. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.”

The victim was identified as Michelle soon after, and her cause and manner of death were both officially listed as “undetermined” on February 27.

The New York Post revealed that her family reportedly objected to an autopsy, and the medical examiner’s office was “obligated to honor the family’s request due to the state’s public health law,” according to a source. Meanwhile, only an external examination of the body could be completed.

Several reports claimed that Michelle suffered with health issues before her death, and it’s believed she underwent a liver transplant shortly before her passing. It’s been speculated that complications from the surgery may have contributed to her death, though the theory has not been officially confirmed.

Shortly after her death, several of Michelle’s famous friends paid tribute to her. “Michelle was one of a kind. I remember her coming on set for the first time and just absolutely owning it,” Gossip Girl costar Chace Crawford wrote via Instagram. “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.”