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Kaylee Hottle, an 18-year-old deaf actress who rose to prominence playing Jia in the recent Godzilla franchise films, died early Tuesday in a car accident in Maryland, her father confirmed.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, said officials notified him that his daughter had been critically injured and that her heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
In an emotional livestream delivered in ASL, he told viewers he had flown from Texas to identify her body and described the shock of learning she had been involved in a severe crash.
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:52 a.m. Tuesday to a single‑vehicle collision on Windsor Road in Ijamsville. A preliminary investigation found that a 1995 Honda Accord left the roadway and struck a culvert, and authorities said excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash.
Hottle, identified as a passenger, was transported to a trauma center where she was later pronounced dead. The driver, an 18-year-old Frederick man, was hospitalized with injuries not considered life‑threatening, while another passenger declined treatment at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
Japan Legends Agency, which handled Hottle’s convention appearances, told Newsweek that it cannot speak on behalf of her family and referred to statements made by her father on Facebook.
Newsweek has reached out to Hottle’s father for additional comment.
Who was Kaylee Hottle?
Hottle, an Atlanta native from a multi-generational Deaf family, began acting as a child, appearing in commercials and a widely viewed PSA for the video messaging app Glide when she was 9.
In a later interview, she said her career accelerated after appearing in a 2017 ad for the ASL translation app Convo. Producers from Kong: Skull Island saw the spot and believed she matched the description for Jia, the orphan who communicates with Kong through sign language in the MonsterVerse films.
Her breakout came in 2021 with Godzilla vs. Kong, where she portrayed Jia, a young girl who communicates with Kong through sign language. She reprised the role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024, becoming a fan favorite for her performance and onscreen bond with the iconic monster.
During the film’s press run, actor Alexander Skarsgård praised her work, calling her “incredibly professional” and noting how quickly she absorbed direction on set.
Hottle also appeared in a 2021 episode of Magnum P.I. during the show’s reboot run. In 2024, she earned a nomination for the Saturn Awards’ Best Younger Performer in a Film category for her role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Her father said the family is now preparing for arrangements as they mourn the loss of a young performer whose work resonated deeply within the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Hollywood Reacts to Kaylee Hottle’s Death
Millie Bobby Brown, who starred alongside Hottle in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, shared a brief message on her Instagram Story on Tuesday. “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee,” she wrote, alongside a photo of her young co‑star.
Oscar‑winning actress and longtime advocate for Deaf representation in Hollywood, Marlee Matlin, also posted a tribute, saying she was “absolutely gutted” by Hottle’s death. “May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,” Matlin wrote, adding that it had been a “privilege” to meet Hottle last year.
Alaqua Cox, a fellow Deaf actor who appeared with Hottle in the MonsterVerse franchise, wrote on Instagram that she was “so heartbroken,” adding, “My heart goes out to her family during this unimaginable time.”
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, said on Facebook that the community is mourning her death and urged people not to speculate about the circumstances of the crash while information remains limited.
In a statement, the school said it is providing counseling and support services for students and staff, noting that her loss will have a “significant impact” on classmates and friends.
Kaylee Hottle attends Japan World Heroes 2023: A Kaiju-Sized Celebration of Japanese Pop Culture at Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport on August 19, 2023, in Burbank, California. Brian Tyree Henry, from left, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle, and Dan Stevens pose for a portrait to promote ” Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” on March 18, 2024, in New York. Adam Wingard, from left, Brian Tyree Henry, Fala Chen, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle and Dan Stevens arrive at the premiere of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” on March 25, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Kaylee Hottle on Deaf Representation in Film
In interviews promoting Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024, Hottle spoke openly about what it meant to bring a Deaf character to a global blockbuster and how she hoped her work would resonate with audiences who rarely see themselves reflected on screen.
She said seeing Jia—a deaf girl who communicates with Kong through sign language—occupy such a central emotional role in the franchise made her proud, adding that she hoped Deaf viewers would feel that same sense of visibility.
Hottle also described Jia’s bond with Kong as rooted in shared isolation and the search for belonging, noting that both characters find a sense of home through their connection.
Returning for the 2024 film, she said stepping back into the role felt more natural, especially when navigating green-screen work that had initially overwhelmed her during her first MonsterVerse appearance.
By her second outing, she said she felt more confident and better equipped to perform in the effects-heavy environment.
Update: 06/21/26 11:44 a.m. ET: This article and headline were updated to reflect Hottle’s birthday as May 1, 2007, making her 19 at the time of her death.
Update: 06/21/26 2:23 p.m. ET: This article and headline have been updated to reflect that police confirmed her age to Newsweek as 18.
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