Cinema VinesKaylee Hottle, the 18‑year‑old actress who portrayed Jia in the blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong, died in a car accident in Maryland. The tragedy was confirmed by her father, Joshua Hottle, who posted a tearful video on Facebook and later spoke to TMZ about the circumstances. In the video, Joshua explained in American Sign Language that the crash occurred while Kaylee was traveling to the state. He said he had been in Texas when he received a call from authorities and, later, another call that her heart had stopped en route to the hospital.
Kaylee was born in Georgia to parents Ketsi Carlson and Joshua Hottle. Her family has a long history of deaf relatives on her father’s side, spanning four generations. She was fluent in American Sign Language and frequently discussed the need for more roles for deaf actors in Hollywood. In a 2024 interview with Chron, she remarked, “I see a lot of positive things. There's not a lot of deaf roles or opportunities out there. And so now we're able, [and] I'm able to get them, and I think I've seen more and more growth and positivity.”
She attended the Texas School for the Deaf, a place she cherished because everyone communicated with her in sign language. “It’s a great school for deaf students to go to,” she told Chron. “I have deaf teachers, and everyone is able to communicate with me through sign language.”
Kaylee’s entry into the film industry began with a commercial for the video‑relay app Convo. Casting director Sarah Halley Finn spotted her during that project and felt she matched the description for Jia. Producer Alex Garcia later noted that finding the right girl for the role was a “challenging” task and that Kaylee had never appeared in a film before. “We had to look outside of the traditional casting channels to find her,” Garcia said. “When we met Kaylee we knew she was the one.”
After the accident, Kaylee’s mother also shared an emotional video on social media, expressing her grief and thanking the community for its support. Joshua added, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” as he flew to Maryland to retrieve his daughter’s body. The loss of such a young talent has left fans and colleagues mourning a promising career cut tragically short.
