Smash Star Megan Hilty Suffers Unthinkable Family Tragedy
Megan Hilty, a Tony-nominated performer who rose to fame on television thanks to her lead role in the NBC series “Smash” with “American Idol” alum Katharine McPhee, is a true force on both the Broadway stage and the small screen. Hilty has had recurring parts in plays including “Wicked,” “9 to 5: The Musical,” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” all of which are in the theatre.
Unfortunately, Hilty is not this time making headlines for good reasons. Sadly, Hilty’s extended family and she must deal with a tragic personal update. On September 4 near Seattle, Washington, Hilty experienced an unimaginable family tragedy when her sister, brother-in-law, and baby nephew perished in an aircraft accident along with seven other passengers, according to a story from ABC News. Regarding the tragedy, one fan tweeted, “I can’t even comprehend what she’s going through,” while another added, “I know the entire Broadway community is sending all the power of love it can muster.” Inslee said that he and his wife Trudi were “devastated by the death of people aboard the jet” in a statement after the heartbreaking incident. “Our hearts are with theirs,” he continued.
According to Seattle’s King 5, a floatplane carrying Lauren Hilty, Megan Hilty’s sister, crashed in Mutiny Bay, Washington, which is located approximately 30 miles outside of Seattle. According to The New York Times, Lauren, who was expecting a son called Luca in October, was joined by her husband, vineyard entrepreneur Ross Mickel, and their 23-month-old son Remy. Lyla, Mickel’s daughter, regularly made appearances in photos on his Instagram account.
According to a press statement from the 13th District Pacific Northwest of the U.S. Coast Guard, the other passengers were Patricia Hicks, Sandra Williams, Luke Ludwig, Rebecca Ludwig, Joanne Mera, and Gabrielle Hanna. The pilot was identified as Jason Winter. Remy was the only child on the aircraft, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Only one corpse had been found at the time of the U.S. Coast Guard’s press release, and it had not yet been officially identified since the victim’s family hadn’t been notified.
As of this writing, the accident’s cause is still a mystery. Witnesses did, however, describe a disturbing image. One local told Komo News that the aircraft’s engine made a shift in sound before it violently dove into the ocean. “It was really loud,”
