'Smash' Star Megan Hilty Breaks Silence On Death Of 3 Family Members In Fatal Plane Crash

Megan Hilty is grieving the heartbreaking loss of three family members who recently passed in a tragic plane crash.

On September 4, Hilty's sister, Lauren, her brother-in-law, Ross Mickel, and her nephew Remy were reported to have died in a floatplane accident after crashing into Washington's Puget Sound. The incident was beyond devastating for the bereaved, and she took to Instagram to express her grief and open up about the deaths for the first time since the crash.

Using an old snap of her sister and brother-in-law beaming at the camera, Hilty added beautiful words to the post, honoring the deceased's memories in the most heartfelt way. The picture showed the couple posing with their heads together and standing in front of a monumental structure. It also included an attached shot of their son, Remy. 

"On Sunday afternoon," the Broadway star began her message, "a small float plane crashed into Puget Sound off the coast of Whitley Island. My beloved sister Lauren, brother-in-law Ross and baby nephew Remy were on that plane."  She then mentioned, "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."

The past few days since the crash have been the worst of Hilty and her family's lives as there are "truly no words to appropriately convey the depth" of their misery. The 41-year-old admitted that she had no immediate plans to publicly acknowledge the saddening family tragedy, but given the misinformation several news outlets spread, she did the needful.

She noted that the outlets "misgendered" her nephew while some did not mention her sister's then-unborn baby, Luca. Hilty further revealed, "Lauren and Ross left behind my niece, who we are all holding in our hearts. Thankfully, she was not on the plane, and we ask that her name and personal information be kept private as she is a minor."

She maintained that the details must be corrected to "respectfully honor" all the deceased and the loved ones they left behind. In concluding the touching note, the "Wicked" star appreciated "the outpouring of love and support," which has meant a lot to her and her family.

At the same time, she also expressed how comforting it felt to know how truly loved her sister, brother-in-law, and her nephews were. Not long after, fans took to the comments section to send their condolences with earnest remarks, including several from fellow entertainment stars.

Morgan James expressed her sympathies after noting that the loss was "absolutely devastating." Matthew Morrison did the same and sent love to the bereaved and her family. Many other verified social media users were all about love and sympathy for Hilty, including Frank DiLella, Celisse, Bill Horn, Jenna Leigh Green, Eden Espinosa, Stephani Block, Michael Hitchcock, and Chrishell Stause. 

Stause expressed "utter heartbreak" before stating that she lifted the Washington-born and her family and prayed for them. She also sent "so much love" and apologized for the loss. There were truly no words that could convey how heartbroken the fans felt, but they ensured to declare that they would always be there for Hilty and whatever she and her family needed.

Today shared more details about the unfortunate crash, revealing ten people were aboard the de Havilland DHC-2 Otter floatplane, comprising nine passengers and the pilot, Jason Winter. Hilty's three family members were listed as passengers on the plane; however, the bodies of the crash's victims remain missing even though there was once an active search for them.

A dead individual was found on the night of the crash but has not been identified, while the U.S. Coast Guard announced the following day the suspension of its active search for the remaining nine missing persons. The Hilty and Mickel families released a statement not long after the tragedy, expressing their deep sadness and devastation about the loss of their beloved family.

Their collective grief was "unimaginable," and they described the deceased as "a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them." In conclusion, they noted that Lauren and her family's time with them was short but promised to carry their legacy forward.