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The American actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for starring in Godzilla vs Kong, has died aged 18.
Hottle, who appeared in the popular sci-fi film and its sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, was killed in a car crash in Frederick, Maryland.
Her death was confirmed by her father, Joshua, in a livestream shared to Facebook.
The video was in American Sign Language (ASL), as the Hottle family is all-deaf.
Her mother, Ketsi, also shared a post in ASL that featured a selfie with her daughter as the cover photo.
‘Privilege to be your mom, Kaylee Hottle,’ she wrote.
Hottle was one of two passengers involved in a collision at 3am on Tuesday morning.
The driver was a 19-year-old man who was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
AP said the crash is under investigation.
The actress attended the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in Austin, where she was a senior, and the institution paid tribute to her after the ‘heartbreaking’ news of her death.
The school shared a photo of her and wrote: ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday (sic) 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.’
It added: ‘Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together.’
Hottle made her feature film debut in 2021’s Godzilla vs Kong opposite stars such as Alexander Skarsgård and Millie Bobby Brown.
Her character, Jia, was an orphaned deaf girl who formed a unique bond with giant great ape Kong by communicating with him in ASL.
Hottle reprised her role in the 2024 sequel, with her performance landing her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
While promoting the hit sci-fi films, the actress often spoke about the inclusion of deafness in the entertainment industry.
Hottle also appeared in several advertisements across her career, including one promoting support for the deaf community in its pursuit of equal rights.
Paying tribute, Hottle’s Godzilla vs Kong co-star Brown said she was “devastated” to learn of her death, sharing a black-and-white image of Hottle to her Instagram story.
Over the photo, the Emmy-nominated actress wrote: ‘I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee.’
Marlee Matlin, who was the first deaf actress to win an Oscar for her role in Children of a Lesser God, shared a photo to X of herself and fellow actress Shoshannah Stern alongside Hottle.
She wrote: ‘I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity.’
