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Godzilla vs. Kong actress Kaylee Hottle has died aged 18.
The deaf actress, who played Jia in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and its 2024 sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, was killed in a car accident in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Ijamsville, Maryland, TMZ reported. Her father, Joshua Hottle, announced the news in a livestream on Facebook via American Sign Language, while traveling to Texas to claim her body.
According to a release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Hottle was one of two passengers, in addition to the driver, who were in the vehicle at the time of the collision. Police said the preliminary investigation revealed that a 1995 Honda Accord, operated by a 19-year-old Frederick man, traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert. Excessive speed "is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision," police said.
The driver was transported to a local hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. One passenger declined medical treatment at the scene. Hottle was transported from the scene to an area trauma center, where she was later pronounced deceased.
Hottle, from Atlanta, Georgia, comes from a multi-generational deaf family. Texas School for the Deaf, which Hottle attended, shared the news in a post on Instagram.
"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," reads the statement.
"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."
Hottle had appeared in a number of commercials aimed at supporting deaf children before she landed a role in Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse. She played Jia, one of the last remaining members of the Iwi tribe of Hollow Earth and Skull Island, who was adopted by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and forms a bond with Kong. The character is deaf and communicates with the giant gorilla via ASL. She reprised the role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
In 2024, Hottle credited the video relay service app Convo with helping launch her film career. She told Chron she used it to communicate with fellow cast and crew members and even appeared in a 2017 ad for the company.
“I had a connection with Convo. They asked me to be in a commercial one day, and so I did that commercial,” she said. “And then the assistant director of [Kong: Skull Island] saw me and they thought I matched the character description of Jia.”
The crash remains under investigation by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office Traffic Unit. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information related to this investigation is asked to contact Dfc. Rose at 301-600-1046.
Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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