Michelle Trachtenberg was in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend, Jay Cohen, at the time of her death in February 2025.
In October 2020, sources exclusively confirmed to Us Weekly that Trachtenberg had been dating her talent agent, Cohen, for “over a year.”
At the time, Trachtenberg sparked engagement rumors by sharing a since-deleted Instagram pic of herself sporting a large diamond ring. “I picked the right one 
,” she captioned the October 2020 selfie.
She went on to add, “Now that I have your attention. I know @joebiden @kamalaharris and I will be very happy together. #vote 
.”
‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy’ Star Michelle Trachtenberg Dead at Age 39
Trachtenberg and Cohen never publicly addressed whether or not they were engaged, choosing to keep their romance primarily out of the public eye. However, the pair occasionally shared sweet photos of each other via social media.
Trachtenberg posted a Valentine’s Day tribute to Cohen via Instagram days before she died at age 39 on February 26, 2025. Police sources confirmed to Us that she was found unconscious in her New York City apartment. Though her cause of death was not revealed, Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant surgery shortly before her death.
Scroll down for a look back at Trachtenberg and Cohen’s biggest relationship moments:
October 2020
Sources confirmed the couple’s relationship status exclusively to Us, noting that Trachtenberg was a client of Cohen’s.
July 2021
Cohen shared his first Instagram post with the Gossip Girl alum while celebrating the 4th of July. He captioned a selfie of the two, “#fireworks are every day with this one!! 
.”
February 2023
“My valentine,” Cohen captioned an Instagram pic of himself and Trachtenberg. The actress called herself and Cohen “#valentines” in a Valentine’s Day post of her own, which featured another rare photo of the two.
March 2024
“Happy Birthday to the man who puts up with me @jaymcohen 
,” Trachtenberg captioned a Instagram photo of herself and Cohen dressed as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Halloween in honor of his birthday.
February 2025
Trachtenberg reposted the same Halloween costume pic via Instagram for Valentine’s Day, which marked one of her final social media posts before her death. “Happy Valentine’s Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face. 
,” she wrote alongside the photo.
