Jessica Klepser Says Tragic Loss Of Her Daughters And Ex-Husband Forever Changed Her
Jessica Klepser recently opened up about the heartbreaking loss of her two daughters, Madita, 12, and Annik, 10, along with their father, actor Christian Oliver, in a tragic plane crash earlier this year. In an emotional interview on Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s MeSsy podcast, Jessica shared her journey of grief and how she finds strength from her daughters, even though they’re no longer physically with her.
The tragedy occurred last January, right after the holidays. Jessica recalled how she had spent a wonderful Christmas Eve with her girls and Christian. On December 26, she drove them to the airport for a vacation they had planned to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday in the Caribbean.
“And they were supposed to come back on Jan. 4, and they got on a little plane to leave the island on Jan. 4. And right after takeoff, the little plane, I think the engine, something was wrong with the engine, the plane crashed into the water. And my two daughters, Madita and Annik, and my ex-husband Christian and also the pilot, they all crossed over,” she recounted.
Though she received the terrible news by phone, the moment was a blur. Since then, people have often told her she’s strong, but she finds it strange. In her words: “I mean, a lot of people are telling me that I’m strong, and it always sounds a little weird to me because, but yeah, I feel strong also means that you allow yourself to cry and to grieve and to scream. That’s all part of being strong.”
Jessica also spoke about how her daughters gave her strength throughout her life, including when she delivered them both at home. “I felt strong enough to deliver them at home, and it was beautiful. And my girls always gave me so much strength. And for me, it feels like they’re still doing it. They’re still doing it from where they are now,” she stated.
While Jessica embraces her grief, she’s also learning to be vulnerable and lean on others for support. “I was that person before that thought strength is when you push through. I was that person who wouldn’t ask for help, maybe because of the way I grew up with my mom always taking care of my dad, that was the picture I grew up with. Like, oh, you have to be in charge. You got this. I learned through this that vulnerability is the real strength. If you can open up and ask for help when it’s needed and really let those that are closest to you look inside your heart,” she stated.
The crash has fundamentally changed who she is. “I became a new person after this, and I have to myself, get to know this person,” Jessica said.
Simple routines, like Friday movie nights with her daughters, now fill her with sadness. As she explained, “Friday, for example, was always my favorite day in the week because I would pick them up from school, and everybody knew there was no school for two days. It was the weekend, and we would come home and have a movie night and pizza party in front of the TV. And now I am the person who hates Fridays because I’m coming home to an empty house. And I feel when they left, maybe the best to explain it is that they took this chunk of my heart with them, but they also left parts of their heart here. And now I have this new heart, which makes me a new person.”
Despite her loss, Jessica has had moments of light and hope. However, she’s faced criticism from strangers online for sharing positive posts or happy memories of her girls on social media. “I feel every loving mother knows that my heart is broken, and I don’t have to post or proof pictures of me sitting in my bathroom by myself crying. That’s a given,” she said, adding, “And that’s also no one’s business. But if I sometimes see a little bit of hope or have a good day and I like to share and talk about my girls, even if I want to do that till the end of my life, then I’m going to f—ing do it. And who are you to judge me?”
Jessica believes there’s a reason she wasn’t on the plane with them and feels her daughters guiding her. She wasn’t particularly spiritual before their deaths, but now she is. They are together; they are with their dad. We are still doing this co-parenting thing, kind of. He’s with them. He’s taking care of them for now until I am going to join them. And that helps me. That helps me so much to know that they’re not alone,” she stated.
She ended on a poignant note, explaining how her daughters still give her comfort. “When I need them the most, that’s when I feel them the most.”
