Actor Christian Oliver’s ex-wife pays tribute to him and children killed in plane crash

Actor and daughters, 12 and 10, died along with pilot on Thursday after small plane they were in crashed into Caribbean Sea

A Los Angeles pilates instructor who recently lost her two daughters and their father – actor Christian Oliver – has paid tribute to her girls and her former husband, saying their deaths are “deeply felt by all who knew” them.

Jessica Klepser’s remarks about Oliver and their daughters – Madita Maia and Annik Luna Klepser, ages 12 and 10, respectively – were contained in a statement published late Friday on Instagram by Wundabar Pilates, the studio where she works.

The statement described Madita as “a vibrant” student in the seventh grade (the US equivalent of year eight in the UK) who had “a lively spirit” and thrived in academics, dance, singing and performances. Meanwhile, her younger sister Annik, who was in fourth grade (year five), had a “gentle yet strong demeanor” who was “always the first to offer a kind word or a comforting hug”, and she had a passion for basketball, swimming and various forms of art, the statement said.

“The deep bond, infectious laughter, and adventurous spirit shared by Madita and Annik will be profoundly missed in their communities,” the statement added.

As for Oliver, who was born Christian Klepser, he was a real estate agent in addition to his acting work, and he kept “a broad network of close friends worldwide”, the tribute said.

The tribute said his survivors include Jessica Klepser, his sister and his parents in Germany, adding: “His loss will be deeply felt by all who knew him.”

The Klepsers married on the 4 July 2010, Los Angeles court records show. He filed for divorce in December 2021 after more than 10 years of marriage, and it was finalized in June with the couple sharing joint legal custody of their daughters.

An online GoFundMe campaign meant to benefit the survivors of Madita, Annik and their father had eclipsed its goal of $100,000 by Saturday. The donations are meant to cover funeral expenses and services and the repatriation of the bodies of Oliver and his daughters, who died off the coast of a Caribbean island.

Oliver, Madita and Annik were on holiday together and were passengers aboard a single-engine airplane that took off at about 12.10pm local time on Thursday from an airport in Bequia, a small island in the nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines, according to authorities.

The Royal St Vincent and Grenadines police force said that the aircraft – headed to nearby St Lucia – encountered unspecified trouble shortly after takeoff and then plummeted into the Caribbean Sea.

Fishers, divers and members of the nation’s coast guard descended on the scene of the wreck. Military personnel were eventually able to recover the four bodies of those onboard the plane: Oliver, his girls, and the aircraft’s pilot and owner, who was a man from Bequia named Robert Sachs.

The exact cause of the crash remained under investigation.

News of the German-born Oliver’s death spread across the film industry and beyond. Among those to mourn him were director Nick Lyon and actor Bai Ling, who were involved in the upcoming movie Forever Hold Your Peace, for which Oliver had wrapped filming on 20 December.

His acting career began in 1994 with a 26-episode role on the show Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Other prominent acting credits included The Good German with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, Speed Racer with Emile Hirsch and Valkyrie with Tom Cruise.