Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla x Kong Star, Dies at 18 After Car Crash

Kaylee Hottle, the young Deaf actress best known for playing Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died at the age of 18 following a car crash in Maryland.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her death after the accident, telling TMZ that Kaylee died while being transported to a hospital. In a video shared on Facebook in American Sign Language, he said he was traveling from Texas to Maryland to bring his daughter home.

The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, paid tribute in a statement, expressing its "profound sadness" and extending condolences to her family, friends, and classmates. The school also urged the public to respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation about the circumstances of the crash.

Hottle's acting career began after appearing in a 2017 advertisement for the ASL translation app Convo. Her performance caught the attention of filmmakers, leading to her breakout role as Jia, the orphan who communicates with King Kong through American Sign Language. She appeared alongside Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, and Brian Tyree Henry in the MonsterVerse films.

Skarsgård previously praised Hottle's talent and professionalism, describing her as remarkably natural in front of the camera and quick to adapt to direction despite it being her first feature film.

In addition to her work in the Godzilla x Kong franchise, Hottle appeared in an episode of Magnum P.I. and earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Younger Performer in a Film for her role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Her death marks the loss of a promising young performer whose work helped bring Deaf representation to a global audience. Authorities have not released additional details about the crash.