Cinema VinesKaylee Hottle, the 18‑year‑old deaf actress who rose to prominence as Jia in the 2021 blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong and its 2024 sequel Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, has tragically died in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland. The news was first announced by her father, Joshua Hottle, who used American Sign Language during a Facebook livestream to confirm his daughter’s passing. He later told TMZ that the fatal crash occurred in Maryland.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Kaylee was a senior, released a statement on social media expressing its sorrow. “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,” the post read. The school added that it had limited information and requested that people respect the family’s privacy and refrain from speculation about the circumstances.
Kaylee’s performance as Jia—a deaf orphan who bonds with Kong and is adopted by Dr. Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall—earned her critical acclaim and a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor for the 2024 film. In a 2021 interview with The Daily Moth, she discussed the challenges of translating her lines into American Sign Language. She noted that while memorizing the script was manageable, adapting the spoken dialogue into ASL was difficult because the signs often differ from the spoken words, leading to misunderstandings and production delays.
Both Kaylee and her father are deaf and come from a multi‑generational deaf family. Their loss has shocked the film community and fans alike, who mourn the loss of a young talent whose future in Hollywood was just beginning to unfold.
