Blake Lively urges fans to 'be kind' in touching tribute to Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg

Blake Lively shared a poignant tribute to Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg, who died just 18 months apart, asking fans to 'be kind.'

The It Ends with Us actress, 38, took to her Instagram Stories with a heartfelt message about the late stars, a day after Panettiere's shock death at the age of 36.

Former child stars Panettiere and Trachtenberg famously shared the screen in Disney's 2005 film Ice Princess. Trachtenberg - who died last February at the age of 39 - also starred alongside Lively in the hit show Gossip Girl. 

Lively shared a montage of clips from Ice Princess, writing, 'Be. Kind. You never know what others are going through.'

'Thank you to both these women for all the joy you brought so many,' she added.

Panettiere died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, at 36 years old. Narcan was found in the apartment where she died, it was reported, after the Heroes actress suffered an apparent overdose. 

Her sudden death came 18 months after Trachtenberg passed in February. Trachtenberg's cause of death was later confirmed to be due to complications from diabetes mellitus. 

Last year Lively also shared a touching tribute to Trachtenberg. Reflecting on their first day together on the set of Gossip Girl, Lively posted a photo of Trachtenberg, whom she described as 'fiercely loyal,' 'kind,' and 'deeply sensitive.'

'This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed,' Lively stated in her lengthy Instagram tribute.

Lively emphasized Trachtenberg's authenticity, writing, 'Everything she did, she did 200%. She 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 said Trachtenberg, who portrayed Georgina Sparks on the show, 'was proud to be a part of this community and industry as painful as it could be sometimes' and 'was fiercely loyal to her friends and brave for those she loved.'

Panettiere and Trachtenberg were already established child stars when they joined forces on Ice Princess.

The coming-of-age sports drama, directed by Tim Fywell, centered on high schooler Casey, played by Trachtenberg, who discovers a hidden passion for figure skating while researching a physics project.

Panettiere starred as Gen, the daughter of local ice skating rink manager Tina Harwood, played by Kim Cattrall.

Tina initially schemes to sabotage the newcomer to help her own daughter. But the rivals eventually forge a bond, with Gen helping Casey find her confidence.

Following news of Panettiere's death, her on-screen mom Cattrall took to her Instagram to share a photo of them together, writing, 'Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon.' 

The movie grossed $25.7 million during its theatrical run, with both Panettiere and Trachtenberg going on to define 2000s teen cinema and youth pop culture.

In 2011, six years after making Ice Princess, Panettiere and Trachtenberg reunited at a charity fashion event in New York City.

They attended the star-studded unveiling of Stuart Weitzman's Young Hollywood Cares Collection, a charity shoe line co-created by young stars to benefit ovarian cancer research.

The former co-stars both beamed as they posed on the red carpet together.

Both actresses launched their careers as child stars, with Trachtenberg starring in Harriet the Spy and Panettiere gaining worldwide stardom in Remember the Titans alongside Denzel Washington.

They later cemented their status as TV icons in major shows, with Trachtenberg starring in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Panettiere in Heroes and Nashville.

Following Panettiere's passing, tributes have poured in for both of the co-stars. 

One fan on X shared a photo of Panettiere and Trachtenberg from the film, writing: 'First michelle trachtenberg now hayden panettiere. I'm so sad, I can’t believe this, my ice princesses both gone.'

Another fan wrote: 'Now they are both together.'

'Two beautiful souls, two faces we grew up watching, and memories that will forever live on through the characters they brought to life. Some moments from our childhood become so much more emotional when you realize how precious those moments really were. Rest peacefully.'

'My sweet young girls,' someone else added.

'hayden panettiere is now in heaven ice skating alongside michelle trachtenberg. rest in peace you beautiful angels.'

'Both Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere gone…this hurts so badly,' another wrote.

On Monday, Greenville County Sheriff's Office said that Panettiere's autopsy had been completed and that no signs of trauma were found on the star's body.

Further investigations will now take place to establish her cause of death, with chief deputy coroner Shelton England telling the Daily Mail that it was too early to discuss the drug overdose theory.

It is still unclear if the Narcan found at the apartment where she died had been used to try and revive Panettiere, although 911 audio obtained earlier on Monday revealed that the actress had gone into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.

Meanwhile, last month Rosie O'Donnell claimed that Trachtenberg was battling drug and alcohol addiction before her shock death in 2025.

Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment near Columbus Circle by her mother, police sources told ABC News at the time.

It was further reported the actress had recently undergone a liver transplant after battling alcohol issues and 'may have been experiencing complications.' Her cause of death was later confirmed to be due to complications from diabetes mellitus.