Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actress best known for playing Jia in the Godzilla vs. Kong film series, has died in a car crash in Maryland, the United States. She was 18.
Hottle portrayed the young orphan Jia in the 2021 blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong and reprised the role in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her death in a video statement shared on Facebook using American Sign Language.
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred at around 2:50 a.m. on Tuesday in Ijamsville, Maryland. Police said the incident involved a single vehicle and that excessive speed is believed to have been a contributing factor.
A 19-year-old driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while another passenger declined medical treatment at the scene.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle studied, announced her death with “profound sadness” and urged the public to respect the family’s privacy and avoid speculation surrounding the crash.
Warner Bros., the studio behind the Godzilla x Kong films, also paid tribute to Hottle in a post on X, honouring the young actress, who shared the screen with Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry.
Hottle was widely recognised for helping bring greater representation of the deaf community to mainstream Hollywood through her portrayal of Jia. (Newswire)