Actress Kaylee Hottle, 18, Dies in Maryland Car Crash

Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old actress who portrayed Jia in the 2021 film "Godzilla vs. Kong" and its 2024 sequel "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," died on Tuesday following a car crash in Maryland. Her father, Joshua Hottle, said the accident occurred during a nearly 23-minute livestream, which he communicated in American Sign Language before traveling from Texas to retrieve his daughter's body. Officials later confirmed that Hottle's heart stopped on the way to the hospital.

Born in Virginia into a multigenerational deaf family, Hottle began her career appearing in commercials and advocacy projects that promoted deaf awareness before landing her first feature-film role. Her performance as Jia, a deaf character who forms a bond with Kong, was noted for its authenticity and contributed to increased visibility for deaf actors in mainstream cinema.

Hottle's death has been confirmed by Fox News Digital, and her family and colleagues have expressed condolences.