If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that the internet loves two things: celebrity tributes and celebrity hoaxes. This year, we’ve had to say real, heartfelt goodbyes to some truly legendary women of the screen. But at the same time, social media and clickbait mills have “killed off” a few very much alive icons, who then had to watch their names trend for all the wrong reasons.
Let’s sort fact from fiction.
Michelle Trachtenberg (1985 – February 26, 2025)
Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing at just 39 really blindsided everyone. You will remember her from Euro Trip, Gossip Girl fans will remember her as Georgina Sparks, but she was probably most known for her role as Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even though she had been withdrawn from the spotlight for the past few years, the news of her passing still came as a shock. Especially for those who were looking forward to the Buffy revival.
Joan O’Brien (1936 – May 5, 2025)
Joan O’Brien was one of those actresses who just seemed to pop up next to every Hollywood legend in the late ’50s and early ’60s. She sang, she acted, and somehow always landed the best co-stars. She worked with Elvis, Cary Grant and even John Wayne. She died at 89, after decades of quiet retirement.
Maria Grazia Spina (1936 – March 13, 2025)
Maria Grazia Spina wasn’t a Hollywood star, but everyone in Italy grew up watching her. She started out in the late ’50s and quickly became a familiar face. She acted alongside some of the greats of Italian cinema, showed up on endless variety shows, and later became a steady presence on stage, proving she wasn’t just a pretty face from the golden age of film. By the time she passed away in Padua at 88, she’d built a career that basically traced the arc of postwar Italian entertainment.
