Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg’s untimely death in February rocked Hollywood, after it was revealed that she had passed away due to complications from diabetes.
As tributes poured in for the 39-year-old, who rose to fame as a child star in projects like The Adventures of Pete and Pete and Harriet the Spy, her family and her boyfriend, Jay Cohen, asked for privacy to mourn their loss.
Speaking out
Jay broke his silence on Michelle’s death on Wednesday, almost five months after saying goodbye. The actress met the 63-year-old through the Gersh Agency, of which he is a partner and works as head of film finance and distribution.
Michelle signed with the talent agency in 2014 and was first linked to Jay in 2020, after they exchanged sweet social media messages. The normally tight-lipped agent had a fan interaction on Wednesday that provided insight into how he was dealing with his grief in the wake of Michelle’s death.
In the comment section of a post commemorating 26 years since he had received a kidney transplant, a fan asked him to “talk” about the late star. “One day soon! I’m very sorry,” he replied, alongside a heartbreak emoji.
© AFP via Getty ImagesAfter another commenter chastised the fan for prying into his personal life, Jay reassured them both, writing, “Thank you, it’s OK comes from the right place. Michelle was loved by so many.” In the post celebrating his health milestone, he shared a poignant message about helping others in an increasingly divided world.
“We as human beings need to find a way to love and help all people in need,” he wrote, as per Us Weekly. “The divide must stop. Innocent lives should not be part of status quo war casualties, or politics, all people deserve the right to live In Peace.”
“I am so grateful to all of you who are in my life sharing our common joys, helping me with tragedies and healing from pain and grief. I’m sure many of you know what I mean when I write that,” he added.
Touching tributes
The star’s family announced her death via a statement in February that read: “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”
She had previously sparked concern after undergoing a liver transplant in 2024, and hit back at fans commenting on her changed appearance at the time.
Michelle was best known for her roles in Gossip Girl, Ice Princess, EuroTrip and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Tributes poured in from her former co-stars, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrayed her older sister in Buffy.
© Instagram“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live…for you,” she wrote, referencing a quote from season five of their show.
Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively also shared a touching message to her friend, alongside a photo of the pair smiling together. “This is the first day I met Michelle. She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%,” she wrote.
“Time passes. You take for granted you get the chance to see an old friend. To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday. Hold those you love and have loved dear. The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.”
To see more of Michelle as Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, watch below…
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