Was Michelle Trachtenberg dating? Gossip Girl and Buffy actress posted about her Valentine Jay Cohen days before passing
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg died at age 39 on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, leaving behind her long-term producer boyfriend. Per Page Six, the actress went into cardiac arrest in her New York apartment, but when the emergency medical workers arrived at her home, she was already "unconscious and unresponsive." Paramedics soon pronounced her dead on the scene.
Her official cause of death is still to be determined as the investigation remains ongoing, but the New York Police Department has ruled out any criminality. The Post also reported that Trachtenberg recently had a liver transplant, although it's still unknown if she had a complication from it that could have led to her passing.
That said, the Gossip Girl actress was in a long-term relationship before her death. Michelle Trachtenberg was dating talent manager and producer Jay Cohen. Less than two weeks before her passing, Trachtenberg paid tribute to her "Valentine" Jay Cohen on Valentine's Day.
She posted a throwback picture of them on February 14, 2025, where the couple was dressed up as Dr. Jekyll and Hyde for Halloween. She also shared some appreciation for Cohen in the caption.
Michelle Trachtenberg and her producer boyfriend have been together since 2020
Michelle Trachtenberg and Jay Cohen have been dating since 2020. A former Wall Street guy, Cohen is now a partner and head of film finance and distribution at Gersh Agency, which signed the actress in 2014. Some of his producing credits include the wedding comedy Bride Wars, Swimming With Sharks, and Two for the Money.
The father-of-two was first linked with the Gossip Girl actress in 2020, per People, although they kept their relationship away from the public eye. That said, they would occasionally appear on each other's social media pages, like when Michelle Trachtenberg posted her beau on Valentine's Day in 2023.
In the picture she shared on her Instagram, the two were smiling at the camera. She also posted a birthday tribute to him in March 2024. Sharing a snap of their framed Halloween picture, she wrote in the caption:
"Happy Birthday to the man who puts up with me."
Jay Cohen also shared snippets of their relationship on social media, and in fact, he was the first to debut their romance on Instagram. On Independence Day in 2021, the producer shared a selfie of him and Michelle Trachtenberg, with the caption:
"#fireworks are everyday with this one!!"
He also celebrated their 2023 Valentine's Day with a picture of them where the actress was taking their mirror selfie. The last picture shared of them together was the throwback Trachtenberg posted on her Instagram on Valentine's Day, less than two weeks before her untimely death.
That said, beyond glimpses of their relationship in the occasional social media shoutouts, the two have never spoken about their relationship and have not attended any public event together.
Michelle Trachtenberg's cause of death is still unknown and per NYPD, "investigation remains ongoing." That said, CNN cited an NYPD source who said that Trachtenberg had a recent medical issue. The actress' official cause of death will be revealed by the Medical Examiner's office.
