SerpApi.Org
(KTLA) – Actress Kaylee Hottle, who starred in “Godzilla Vs. Kong,” has died at the age of 19.
Kaylee’s father, Joshua, announced her death in a Facebook livestream where he explained in American Sign Language that he had to fly from Texas to Maryland after Kaylee was involved in an accident. TMZ also confirmed the death with the family and was the first to report the story after the crash in the early hours of Tuesday.
Wiping away tears, he explained that police initially called him to inform him of the crash. He later received another call saying that Kaylee’s heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
“I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” the caption to the nearly 23-minute video reads.
Hailing from Georgia, Hottle comes from an all-deaf family that spans four generations on her father’s side, according to her IMDb. According to her profile, she was 19 years old.
Her fluency in ASL allowed her to be featured in PSAs for the Glide app in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, she was featured in “10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message.”
She famously played Jia in 2021’s “Godzilla Vs. Kong” and 2024’s “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.” Kaylee also made appearances in the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” in 2021.
The Texas School for the Deaf paid tribute to Kaylee in a post to social media.
“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 Facebook post read. “Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.”
While the school said it had “limited information,” staff asked that “everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee’s family and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.”
“We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community. Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, with additional support being provided for Kaylee’s classmates and friends,” the statement continued. “Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
