‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ child star dead at 18 following Maryland car crash

Digital Editor

FREDERICK, Md. —

Kaylee Hottle, a deaf actress best known for her work in two “Godzilla” films, has died. She was 18.

Hottle died this week following a car crash, her father, Joshua Hottle, revealed Tuesday morning.

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The single-vehicle crash happened in Ijamsville, Maryland, located about 40 miles west of Baltimore.

Joshua Hottle, who speaks American Sign Language, revealed the news in a heartbreaking 23-minute Facebook Live video, saying “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.”

Kaylee Hottle made her feature film debut in 2021 as Jia in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” who forms a bond with Kong and communicates with him primarily through American Sign Language.

Her performance earned her praise for bringing authentic deaf representation to a major Hollywood blockbuster.

She reprised her role as Jia in “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in 2024, a performance that earned her a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor.

Kaylee Hottle attended the Texas School for the Deaf, where she was a senior. The school released a statement that reads in part, “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident … Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.”

According to a press release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old man. The car traveled off the right side of the road and struck a culvert.

Hottle was rushed to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The driver and a second passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries.