We're very sad to report that Kaylee Hottle, the young actress best known for her role as Jia in the 2021 movie Godzilla vs Kong and follow-up Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, has died following a car accident. She was just 18 years old.
Kaylee's father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the devastating news to TMZ after first sharing a Facebook livestream.
In the video, Joshua explained in ASL that the crash occurred in Maryland. He revealed that he was in Texas when he got a call from authorities about a serious collision, and when he was on the way to see his daughter, he received a follow-up call to inform him that her heart had stopped while on the way to the hospital.
According to a release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (via EW), Hottle died in a single-vehicle collision in the 11400 block of Windsor Road in Ijamsville, Md., in which she was a passenger.
"Deputies and personnel from the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call on Tuesday at approximately 2:52 a.m., and a preliminary investigation revealed that an unnamed 19-year-old Frederick man was driving a 1995 Honda Accord when he traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert."
The report also revealed that two passengers were also in the vehicle with the driver at the time of the collision, one being Hottle. She was transported from the scene to an area trauma center, where she was later pronounced deceased.
Kaylee and her parents are all Deaf individuals, and four generations of Joshua’s family come from the Deaf community, according to The Houston Chronicle. Kaylee attended the Texas School for the Deaf, which released the following statement.
. “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 in Frederick, Maryland. Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time. At this time, we have very limited information and ask that everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee’s family and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.”
In Godzilla vs Kong, Kaylee played Jia, a teenager who was able to communicate with King Kong via sign language. She reprised the role in 2024's Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. Hottle also appeared in NBC’s Magnum P.I. series and had a film in pre-production titled What Doesn’t Kill Us.
Hottle's Godzilla co-stars, Millie Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall, shared the following tributes on social media.
Our thoughts go out to Kaylee's friends and family during this very difficult time.