Deaf Actress Kaylee Hottle, 18, Killed in Maryland Car Crash
Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old deaf actress known for her role as Jia in the Godzilla vs. Kong films, died after a single-vehicle collision in Maryland.
Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old deaf actress who portrayed Jia in the Godzilla vs. Kong franchise, died following a car crash in Frederick County, Maryland. The incident occurred around 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday when a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old left the right side of the two-lane road and struck a culvert, according to a statement from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said excessive speed was believed to be a factor, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Hottle, a resident of Kyle, Texas, was a passenger in the vehicle. She was taken to a trauma center where she was pronounced dead. The other passenger was not injured, and the driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hottle made her film debut at age nine in the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong movie and later appeared in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, playing an orphaned indigenous Iwi girl who communicates with Kong using American Sign Language. She previously appeared in a 2017 commercial for the Convo video relay service, which led to her casting in the films.
"I would read the script, and director Adam Wingard would explain to me exactly what he wanted me to do," Hottle said in a March 2024 profile, noting the support of her parents and translators.
The Texas School for the Deaf expressed condolences to her family and friends on social media. The crash remains under investigation by local authorities.