What We Know About Michelle Trachtenberg's Low-Key Relationship With Jay Cohen

Actor Michelle Trachtenberg's untimely death at the age of 39 on February 26, 2025, has left many fans in absolute shock. The beloved star, best known for her work in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Harriet the Spy," "Gossip Girl" and "EuroTrip," was found dead by her mother at a luxury apartment in New York City, and no cause of death has been released. The New York Post reports that her death is not being investigated as suspicious, and the result of natural causes, but there are a lot of questions swirling about the actor's final years. Among them is her relationship status with her boyfriend Jay Cohen.

Cohen wasn't just Trachtenberg's boyfriend but also a partner at the talent agency she uses. They met after the actor signed with the Gersh Agency in 2014, and reportedly sparked a romance in 2019, according to Us Weekly, who first reported on the relationship in 2020. Since then, Trachtenberg  — who has largely maintained a low profile in recent years — and Cohen largely kept things private and personal when it came to their romance, although they weren't exactly secretive.

Both Cohen and Trachtenberg occasionally wrote messages and sweet posts about one another on Instagram. Most recently, Trachtenberg shared a throwback photo from a past Halloween, showing herself dressed up as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Cohen as Frankenstein's green-skinned monster. Trachtenberg captioned the post, "Happy Valentine's Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face." Cohen has yet to publicly comment on the actress' unfortunate death.

Jay Cohen is a partner at the legendary Gersh Agency and is in charge of the agency's film finance and distribution efforts. Cohen joined the agency in 2009 after beginning his career on Wall Street and then moving into Hollywood, where he self-financed and produced the 1994 film "Swimming With Sharks." He later co-founded Cosmic Entertainment with Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, and Kate Hudson, and has produced and executive produced dozens of films. However, it does not appear that Cohen has worked as a producer on any of Michelle Trachtenberg's past projects.

While it's unclear how old Cohen is, there does appear to be a significant age gap between the pair. Cohen is the father of two adult daughters, Rachel and Lili, and has often taken to social media to share photos of his children. He gleefully celebrated the wedding of his youngest daughter, Lili, in November 2023. In July 2024, Cohen also commemorated the 25th anniversary of having to undergo a kidney transplant, which saved his life. Interestingly, Trachtenberg reportedly also recently became an organ recipient when she underwent a liver transplant, although details regarding her medical condition remain unknown at this time.

Trachtenberg first shared a romantic photo of herself and Cohen in 2023, when she posted a sweet Valentine's Day selfie with the producer, tagging it "My #valentines." However, Cohen had previously shared a sweet snapshot of himself and Trachtenberg in July 2021, which he captioned "#fireworks are every day with this one!" The pair had both subsequently shared occasional posts celebrating their romance, but otherwise largely stayed out of the public eye.