Megan Hilty speaks out on deaths of her family members
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
Broadway star Megan Hilty has broken her silence about her pregnant sister, brother-in-law and baby nephew perishing in a float plane crash.
The actress posted photos of her sister Lauren Hilty, brother-in-law Ross Mickel, and their toddler son, Remy on her verified Instagram account Wednesday.
“On Sunday afternoon, a small float plane crashed into Puget Sound off the coast of Whidbey Island. My beloved sister Lauren, brother-in-law Ross and baby nephew Remy were on that plane,” Hilty 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.”
Her family members were among the 10 people aboard the plane that went down shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the US Coast Guard’s Pacific Northwest District.
“The last three days have been the worst of our lives. There are truly no words to appropriately convey the depth of our grief,” Hilty wrote.
She is known for her roles on Broadway in “Wicked” and “Noises Off” and the TV series “Smash.”
“The last thing I wanted to do was acknowledge this painful family tragedy publicly, but it’s come to my attention that several news outlets have misgendered my sweet nephew and some haven’t even mentioned baby Luca,” she wrote.
She also requested that personal information, including the name of her niece, who was not on the flight with her parents and brother, be kept private because she is a minor.
“The outpouring of love and support has meant so much to everyone in our family,” Hilty wrote. “It has been so comforting to know just how loved Lauren, Ross, Remy and Luca truly are.”
The Seattle Times reported that, Mickel, 47, “was a renowned Washington vintner and founder of the Eastside-based Ross Andrew Winery,” while his 39-year-old wife “was an accountant who worked with small businesses on payroll and accounting.”
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