Godzilla vs. Kong actress Kaylee Hottle has died aged 18.
The deaf actress, who played Jia 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and 2024 sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, was killed in a car accident on Tuesday morning in in Frederick, Maryland, TMZ reported. Her father, Joshua Hottle, announced the news in a livestream on Facebook via American Sign Language, while traveling to Texas to claim her body.
Hottle, from Atlanta, Georgia, comes from a multi-generational deaf family. Texas School for the Deaf, which Hottle attended, shared the news in a post on Instagram.
"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," reads the statement.
"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.
"We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community. Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, with additional support being provided for Kaylee's classmates and friends.
"Please keep Kaylee's loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together."
Hottle had appeared in a number of commercials aimed at supporting deaf children before she landed a role in the MonsterVerse. She played Jia, one of the last remaining members of the Iwi tribe of Hollow Earth and Skull Island who was adopted by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and forms a kinship bond with Kong. The character is deaf and communicates with the giant gorilla via ASL. She reprised the role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
In 2024, Hottle credited the video relay service app Convo with helping launch her film career. She told Chron she used it to communicate with fellow cast and crew members and even appeared in a 2017 ad for the company.
“I had a connection with Convo. They asked me to be in a commercial one day, and so I did that commercial,” she said. “And then the assistant director of [Kong: Skull Island] saw me and they thought I matched the character description of Jia.”
Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
