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Young, deaf actor Kaylee Hottle has died. She was 18 years old. According to TMZ, Hottle's father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed that the actor died early on July 21 after a car accident in Maryland when her heart stopped on the way to a hospital.
Joshua Hottle first revealed the news in a 23-minute livestream, in which he communicated via American Sign Language. He confirmed that he will be flying from Texas to Maryland to recover his daughter's remains. “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take," he signed.
Kaylee Hottle is likely best known to moviegoers for her role in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. She played Jia, a child living on Skull Island who communicates with King Kong using sign language, in the monster movie. Hottle also appeared in the Magnum P.I. reboot. She played Joon in a Season 4 episode of the series.
Hottle was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a deaf family. She started acting at just 9 years old, appearing in a promotional video for the Glide messaging app, which is popular among the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. She also appeared in a video for the video service Convo, which caught the attention of casting director Sarah Halley Finn and led to Hottle's role in Godzilla vs. Kong.
“I had a connection with Convo," Hottle told Chron, via an interpreter, in a 2024 interview. "They asked me to be in a commercial one day, and so I did that commercial. And then the assistant director of [Kong: Skull Island] saw me, and they thought I matched the character description of Jia.”
Hottle, who was 16 then, was a student attending the Texas School for the Deaf. “It's a great school for deaf students to go to. I have deaf teachers, and everyone is able to communicate with me through sign language.”
“I see a lot of positive things. There's not a lot of deaf roles or opportunities out there,” she added. “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.”
The Texas School for the Deaf released a statement on social media in response to the news of Hottle's death. It reads:
"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. Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time. At this time, we have very limited information and ask 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. Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together.”
