SerpApi.Org
US actor Kaylee Hottle has died at the age of 18.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Kaylee, best known for her performance as Jia in the two most recent Godzilla movies, died in a car accident in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Maryland.
She had been one of three passengers in the vehicle, with “excessive speed” said by the sheriff’s office to have been a contributing factor in the crash, which is currently under investigation.
Kaylee began her acting career at the age of nine, initially appearing in commercials and awareness campaigns, before Godzilla vs. Kong’s casting director Sarah Halley Finn began a search for a deaf actor to portray Jia in the 2021 film.
After landing the part, Kaylee reprised the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, earning a Saturn Award nomination in the Best Performance By A Younger Actor category for her performance.
Outside of her work in the blockbuster franchise, Kaylee also appeared in an episode of the Magnum P.I. reboot.
In a social media post delivered in American Sign Language, her father said that Kaylee’s mum and four siblings had been “crushed” by the news of her death.
“They are together at home, grieving. I am on my way to Maryland to bring Kaylee’s body back home,” he explained, noting that he was “very grateful for the 18 years we had together”, but wished “we had more”.
Godzilla star Millie Bobby Brown was among the first to pay tribute, writing on Instagram: “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee.”
Marlee Matlin, the Oscar-winning actor who is also a prominent member of the National Association of the Deaf, said she was “absolutely gutted” by Kaylee’s death.
“May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,” Marlee added.
