Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg tragically passed away in her New York City home on Wednesday, following a long career in Hollywood.
The actress was just 39 years old when she was found unresponsive by her mother, according to ABC News.
She rose to fame for her role in Harriet the Spy and became a well-known child star, before moving on to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ice Princess.
Michelle sadly left behind her long-term partner, Jay Cohen, whom she was first linked to in 2020. The talent agent broke his silence on her sudden passing to the Daily Mail, sharing that the family "will not be commenting on the tragedy."
He added that Michelle's family were not at the home where he resided with the late actress. Join HELLO! as we explore how she found love before her untimely death.
Simple beginnings
© InstagramMichelle met Jay through the agency that he works for, The Gersh Agency, as the head of film finance and distribution. She signed with the agency in 2014, and the pair are likely to have encountered each other over the years.
They were first linked in 2020, yet kept their relationship extremely private; it wasn't until Valentine's Day in 2023 that the couple hard-launched their romance. "Happy Valentine's Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face," Michelle wrote, alongside a photo of the two dressed as Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde for Halloween.
Jay took the opportunity to share the love with his girlfriend, posting a mirror selfie of the two on Valentine's Day and simply writing, "My valentine." Michelle posted the previous Halloween photo again for her beau's birthday in March 2024, writing, "Happy Birthday to the man who puts up with me @jaymcohen."
Multi-hyphenate talent
© WireImageJay has worked in many different careers, always working his way up to bigger and better things. He started on Wall Street as an investment banker and now works in film production.
"I started out as an investment banker in New York, made my way to LA, financed some movies for people by accident so I learned how to make movies because I invested in a movie and turns out the producers didn't understand they weren't supposed to bring the money home," he explained at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015.
"So I took the movie over, learned all about film production, started a production company with Dustin Hoffman, made a lot of movies."
Jay founded Cosmic Entertainment and partnered with Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn for the venture. His producing credits include Bride Wars and Mad Money.
A devoted father
© InstagramJay is a loving father to two daughters, Lili and Rachel, whom he has shared on his social media.
"My youngest Lili and Lyndsay now married. I gained a new beautiful sweet loving daughter in my family," he wrote in November 2023 alongside a picture of Lili and her new spouse.
He also took a stunning vacation with his girls in 2023, sharing a sweet snap of the trio. "First vacation with my daughters in a while! Love you both so much," he wrote.
