Every year, there’s a segment at the Academy Awards that memorializes the people who have contributed to the entertainment industry who died the previous year. It’s always a sad reminder of everyone we’ve lost who had a hand in creating some of our favorite movies. But this time around, someone pretty important was missing: Michelle Trachtenberg, who unexpectedly died at the age of 39 just days earlier.
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This year’s In Memoriam paid tribute to so many actors and filmmakers who dedicated their lives to entertainment.
Introduced by Morgan Freeman, the segment included Maggie Smith, Gena Rowlands, and Bob Newhart.
Even Gene Hackman, who was found dead on February 26 – the same day Michelle’s body was discovered – was included in the segment, so it doesn’t seem that it was a matter of the Academy running too low on time to include her.
Fans took notice that Michelle was missing from the segment.
It didn’t take long for people to speak out about Michelle not being included in the In Memoriam portion of the Oscars, especially after she starred in movies that had such a big impact on those who love them, including Harriet the Spy and Ice Princess.
“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!!!!” one fan on X wrote.
Another tweeted, “the Oscars not honoring Michelle Trachtenberg in the memoriam is absolutely disgusting.”
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She wasn’t the only notable celebrity left out.
Shannen Doherty, Tony Todd, Chance Perdomo, Linda Lavin, and many others weren’t included in the segment, either.
This typically happens every year – after all, they can’t include everyone – but with how shocking Michelle’s death has been to fans, it’s surprising she was among those omitted to many who followed her career.
“We have to recognize all the art forms that go into the creation of motion pictures. And if you include all the people, the steam goes out of the boiler very quickly,” Bruce Davis, a former Academy executive director, told Us Weekly.
Michelle’s cause of death has been ruled ‘undetermined.’
On Thursday, news outlets including CNN reported that Michelle’s family has declined an autopsy after a New York Police Department source said she appeared to have died from natural causes. The late actress had reportedly undergone a liver transplant in the past year.
“The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time,” a rep for Michelle shared in a statement.
