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In 2014, the actress signed with the Gersh Agency, where he works as a partner, but the very private couple was not publicly linked together until 2020 — with Trachtenberg most recently giving him a Valentine’s Day shoutout just two weeks ago.
As fans and celebrities mourn the tragic passing of actress Michelle Trachtenberg at just 39 years old, many are sharing condolences on the Instagram page of her longtime boyfriend, Jay Cohen.
Though the couple has kept a very low profile over the years, even since they were first linked publicly in 2020, both are connected to the entertainment industry, and in fact, the same talent agency.
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Trachtenberg, best known for her film and television work in the ’90s and ’00s like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl, and Harriet the Spy, was first reported dead by the New York Post, citing police sources, with those sources telling the news outlet her death is not being investigated as suspicious.
According to TMZ, she recently underwent a liver transplant and police believe she died of natural causes. Per the outlet, police and paramedics responded to a call for a woman in cardiac arrest, and found Michelle unresponsive. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
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The actress signed with the Gersh Agency back in 2014, where Jay Cohen happens to be partner and head of film finance and distribution, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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Back in October 2020, Us Weekly sources confirmed that he and Trachtenberg had already been dating by that time for “over a year.” Cohen would be the first to make their relationship public with an Instagram post on July 4, 2021. He captioned the Independence Day celebration, “#fireworks are every day with this one !! đ”
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It would be more than a year later before the actress would reciprocate, sharing a picture for Valentine’s Day 2023 alongside her beau. “My #valentines â¤ď¸” she captioned her share, with Cohen matching her post for post with one of his own, “My Valentine.”
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Cohen showed up again on her feed for his birthday the following year with a Halloween picture, and then just a couple of weeks ago as she marked Valentine’s Day 2025 with the same pic.
“Happy Valentineâs Day to the man who sits still long enough for me to paint his face. đ¤đ𩶠đ” she captioned their last post together.
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Prior to his Hollywood career, Cohen spent years working on Wall Street, according to his online bio. His first film project after making the move to Los Angeles was the 1995 film Swimming with Sharks, which Cohen produced and self-financed. Additional producing credits include Two for the Money and Bride Wars, per People. Cohen has also partnered with Dustin Hoffman, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, and Kate Hudson.
“I started out as an investment banker in New York, made my way to L.A., financed some movies for people by accident,” he said during a talk at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015.
“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 take the money home,” he continued. “So I took the movie over, learned all about film production, started a production company with Dustin Hoffman, made a lot of movies.”
When he’s not working, Cohen is father to two daughters, Lili and Rachel. He often shares photos with them on his Instagram page as well, including the celebration of Lili’s marriage in November 2023.
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“My youngest Lili and Lyndsay now married . I gained a new beautiful sweet loving daughter in my family â¤ď¸â¤ď¸,” he captioned an image of the happy couple from their ceremony.
Just a few months prior, in June, he shared another snap alongside both daughters, captioning it, “First vacation with my daughters in a while ! Love you both so much â¤ď¸”
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In July of that year, Cohen marked the 24th anniversary of his kidney transplant with a heartfelt post, as well as a nod to his daughter’s birthdays (Rachel on July 8 and Lili on July 9).
“When asked what they wanted for their birthdays prior they asked for me to get healthy,” he wrote, sharing the story of the woman who chose to save his life with her kidney.
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“She never thought about herself or her health that is how she still lives her life everyday,” he wrote, talking about his donor’s work as a therapist and animal rescuer. “I donât know what I did to deserve her kidney and her gift but I know I live as healthy as possible for my mind and my body to treat [it] with the respect she deserves.”
He closed his message, “Life is worth fighting for, help people as you can give love not hate!”
Cohen has not yet responded publicly to Trachtenberg’s death.
Nevertheless, fans jumped on to the latest post on his Instagram page with messages of love and condolences. “So sorry for your loss. She was an amazing actress and loved by many,” wrote one.
“Im sorry for your lossđ˘đ˘ she will be missed,” commented another, while another noted, “So sorry. The whole world is mourning with you.”
