Kaylee Hottle, the Deaf actor known for playing Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequel, has died at the age of 18.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the news in an American Sign Language livestream on Facebook today (July 21), explaining that she had been involved in a serious car crash in Maryland.
He said officials had initially informed him of the collision before calling again to tell him that his daughter’s heart had stopped on the way to hospital. He was travelling from Texas to Maryland when he recorded the video, titled: “I am taking a flight that I would never like to take.”
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office later said Hottle had been a passenger in a Honda Accord that left the road in Ijamsville at around 3am and struck a culvert. She was taken to a trauma centre, where she was pronounced dead.
The 19-year-old driver sustained injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, while another passenger declined medical treatment. Police said excessive speed was believed to have been a contributing factor, although the crash remains under investigation.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, also confirmed her death in a statement.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland,” it said. “Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.
“Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” they added.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007, Hottle came from a multigenerational Deaf family, with four generations of Deaf relatives on her father’s side.
She began performing at the age of nine, appearing in a 2017 commercial for the video relay service Convo. She also featured in 10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message, a project which promoted equal rights and opportunities for the Deaf community.
Hottle made her feature-film debut as Jia in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Her character was a young Deaf survivor from Skull Island who formed a close bond with Kong and communicated with him through sign language.
Her co-stars Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård learned ASL so they could communicate with her during production, and speaking about her performance, Skarsgård said: “It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director.”
Hottle reprised the role of Jia in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, in which the character’s connection to the Titans was explored further. The performance earned her a nomination for Best Younger Performer in a Film at the 52nd Saturn Awards.
While promoting the sequel, Hottle spoke about the importance of representing the Deaf community on screen.
“Representation means to me, it shows where I come from and who I represent and what I’m representing for,” she said. “Jia in the movie, she represents bravery. And I represent the Deaf community. And I also represent Asian Americans as well. So we have everything we need. And so I truly care so much about representation.”
The post ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ star Kaylee Hottle dies aged 18 appeared first on NME.
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