Kaylee Hottle, the talented American actress known for her breakout role as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and its sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), has died at the age of 18 following a tragic car accident in Maryland.
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the single-vehicle crash occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday in Ijamsville. Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man.
The vehicle left the roadway and struck a culvert, with excessive speed believed to be a factor. Hottle was transported to a trauma center but was pronounced dead. The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while another passenger declined treatment.
Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the news to TMZ and shared an emotional Facebook video in American Sign Language (ASL). He wrote, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” as he traveled from Texas to Maryland. The family is part of a multigenerational deaf community.
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Born in 2007 into an all-deaf family, Hottle began her career in ASL-related commercials before landing her breakthrough film role. Her performance as the deaf orphan Jia, who shares a bond with Kong, earned praise and a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
