Michelle Trachtenberg’s Ex Zane Carney Shares Tribute to His ‘First Love,’ Says They ‘Stayed in Touch All These Years’

Michelle Trachtenberg’s ex Zane Carney is mourning the loss of his “first love” following news of her sudden death at 39. The NYPD told PEOPLE that officers responded to a 911 call on Wednesday, Feb. 26, pronouncing the late actress as deceased.

In a heartfelt tribute shared to Instagram on Wednesday, Feb. 26, the guitarist, also 39, recalled how he met and fell in love with the late actress when the two were just kids.

“I just heard the news about Michelle and I’m in shock,” he began in the lengthy post.

Carney then shared a little known fact about his “former child acting days,” saying he appeared on the sitcom Dave’s World from 1993 until 1997 “long before I picked up a guitar.”

Trachtenberg and Carney’s paths crossed while making the series. His Instagram post included a photo of the two with two other child actors on the show’s set.

Though Trachtenberg starred in several roles as a child, her breakout role came in the 1996 movie Harriet the Spy, in which she portrayed the titular character opposite Rosie O’Donnell at just 10 years old.

“I remember seeing Harriet The Spy and IMMEDIATELY developing the biggest crush on Michelle (the lead!) I bought all the merch, rewatched it on VHS and hoped that one day I’d meet her so she could be my girlfriend,” Carney wrote.

His wildest dreams soon came true.

“Then I got a word from our casting director that Michelle Trachtenberg herself was going to be a *gasp* GUEST STAR ON OUR NEXT EPISODE!” he said.

Carney admitted he was “so nervous to meet her” and when he finally did, those feelings “grew tenfold.”

He joked that his mother showing Michelle’s mom his baby pictures didn’t really help the situation.

“Of course Michelle walked up WHILE THIS HUMILIATION WAS OCCURRING,” Carney said, admitting that the embarrassing moment eventually worked in his favor.

“She and I developed a truly deep and special connection. Within a few weeks, we were boyfriend and girlfriend (I know, I still can’t believe it either). Michelle was my first love,” Carney wrote.

He also recalled going all out for her birthday, which included getting his dad to help him “record a version of the Beatles’ ‘Michelle’ which we played over the loudspeakers at her birthday party.”

“She ran out of the party half-embarrassed-half-smitten (as kids do) but later revealed how much that meant to her,” Carney said.

The former child star wrote that he and the Gossip Girl actress “stayed in touch all these years and even spoke as recently as October/November 2024.”

Carney concluded, “She was such a unique treasure of a soul and she will be unbelievably missed by the Carney/Heil household. We love you forever Michelle and our hearts go out to the entire Trachtenberg family ❤️.”

A cause of death has not been confirmed. However, she recently underwent a liver transplant, sources tell PEOPLE.