Michelle Trachtenberg's boyfriend Jay Cohen breaks his silence on the actress' sudden death
Jay Cohen spoke of the 'Gossip Girl' alum's passing publicly for the first time while celebrating the 26th anniversary of his life-saving kidney transplant in a post to his private Instagram account Wednesday, according to Us Weekly.
A follower took to the comments section of his message to ask Cohen if he could 'talk' about Trachtenberg, prompting him to reply, 'One day soon! Im very sorry ðŸ''.'
Another Instagram user slammed the nosy inquirer, writing that it was 'not cool' to ask Cohen about the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' alum.
'Thank you, it's OK comes from the right place,' Cohen reacted, adding, 'Michelle was loved by so many.'
While he didn't address his late girlfriend's passing head-on in the post about his operation, he did admit to dealing with 'pain and grief.'
'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,' he reportedly wrote in the July 9 post. 'I'm sure many of you know what I mean when I write that.'
Cohen also shared how he is taking care of his mental and physical health.
'As always, I'm still in the gym keeping my mind and body in shape, healthy and calm,' he said.
'Yes I've added some very personal tattoos, when I look in the mirror as I wake and get ready for bed I remind myself of who I am, who I need to be and why I am.'
He added, 'An extremely important rule in my life, never do anything that I will not want to see when I look in the mirror and ask myself was I true today.'
Cohen, who started dating Trachtenberg in 2020, ended his emotional message by calling life and aging 'humbling.'
'Believe in love, believe in faith and spirituality, care about others!' he wrote.
The Post confirmed that Trachtenberg died on Feb. 26. She was 39.
Trachtenberg's mom, Lana Trachtenberg, reportedly found the 'Gossip Girl' star in her apartment near Columbus Circle at approximately 8 a.m. ET.
The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to Page Six in April that she died of complications from diabetes mellitus and her manner of death was determined to be natural.
'It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,' her rep said in a statement at the time. 'The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.'
Sources told The Post that Michelle had recently undergone a liver transplant.
Michelle sparked health concerns last year when fans noticed she was looking gaunt with thinning hair.
At the time, she had shared a selfie with 'Spy Kids' star Alexa PenaVega.
She captioned the post, 'These kids….now adults getting our roots/hair done! Love this girl @vegaalexa.'
Several followers voiced their concerns for Michelle in the comments section of the post, claiming she looked 'sick' and 'thin.' The former child star fired back at the trolls and defended her appearance, writing to one commenter, 'Explain to me how I look sick.'
'Did you lose a calendar and not realize I'm not 14. I'm 38,' she continued. 'How sad for you to leave such a comment.'
Michelle swiftly shared another selfie and called out her 'haters.'
'I've received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters,' she wrote.
Supporters of the 'Ice Princess' star reacted by applauding her courageous response to the criticism.
Originally published as Michelle Trachtenberg's boyfriend Jay Cohen breaks his silence on the actress' sudden death
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