Megan Hilty has publicly broken her silence about the loved ones she lost in a floatplane crash Sunday afternoon in Washington state.
The “Smash” star posted a statement on Instagram Wednesday night mourning her pregnant sister, brother-in-law and nephew.
“My beloved sister Lauren, brother-in-law Ross and baby nephew Remy were on that plane,” she wrote. “To make this news even more devastating, my sister was eight months pregnant and we were expecting to welcome baby boy Luca into the world next month.”
Lauren Hilty and Ross Mickel and their child, Remy Mickel, were among the 10 people named in the list of victims released by the United States Coast Guard on Tuesday. The floatplane crashed in Puget Sound on Sunday, and on Monday the USCG suspended its active search for the missing individuals.
“The last three days have been the worst of our lives,” Hilty continued. “There are truly no words to appropriately convey the depth of our grief.”
The actor-singer said that publicly addressing the loss was “the last thing I wanted to do” but used her post to correct previous reports of the deaths. Hilty said several outlets “misgendered my sweet nephew and some haven’t even mentioned baby Luca.”
News outlets, including The Times, erroneously identified Remy Mickel as Hilty’s niece. Hilty, who’s also known for her Tony-nominated work in Broadway musicals, clarified that her niece was not aboard the floatplane on Sunday. She requested that personal information about her niece remain undisclosed.
“It is important these details be corrected to respectfully honor everyone we’ve lost and the loved ones they’ve left behind,” she said. “The outpouring of love and support has meant so much to everyone in our family. It has been so comforting to know just how loved Lauren, Ross, Remy and Luca truly are.”
