Godzilla’s Kaylee Hottle, 18, died after car swerved off road into ditch

Godzilla vs. Kong star Kaylee Hottle died aged 18 in a serious car accident just before 3am, when the vehicle she was in swerved into a culvert at high speed.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, was the first to reveal the news of her death n a 23-minute livestream on Facebook, later confirmed to TMZ, sharing in American Sign Language that she had died after being involved in a car accident in Maryland.

The late actress, who was deaf, was best known for starring as Jia in two Godzilla films, the first in 2021. She then reprised her role for Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire three years later.

In the movies, she plays a teenager who lives on Skull Island with Dr Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) as her adoptive mother and communicates with King Kong through sign language.

Hottle’s father shared that officials informed him of the crash, and he had flown out to Maryland to retrieve her body after he had been called and notified that her heart stopped on the way to the hospital.

US law enforcement has now confirmed details of the single-vehicle collision, with Fredrick County Sheriff’s Department in Maryland stating that she was one of two passengers in the car.

According to the official statement, deputies and the county’s fire and rescue service responded to a fatal single-vehicle collision on Windsor Road in Ijamsville at 2.52am on Tuesday.

‘The preliminary investigation revealed that a 1995 Honda Accord, operated by a 19-year-old Frederick man, travelled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert,’ the Fredrick County Sheriff’s Department said, adding that ‘excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision’.

A culvert is a large pipe or tunnel-like structure that channels water under roadways, railways or embankments.

The driver was then transported to a local hospital ‘with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening’, while the second passenger declined medical treatment at the scene.

Hottle, who was identified in the statement, was transported from the scene to an area trauma centre, where she was later pronounced dead.

Law enforcement added that the crash remains under investigation.

Millie Bobby Brown led tributes to her former co-star, declaring herself ‘devastated’, after they worked together on Godzilla vs. Kong.

‘I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee,’ the Enola Holmes 3 star, 22, wrote in a heartfelt Instagram Story, accompanying it with a photo of Hottle in the movie.

Co-star Rebecca Hall paid tribute as well, posting a series of photos of herself with Hottle on the set of the movie to Instagram.

‘Devastated to hear this news. My heart goes out to your family. You will be missed Kaylee,’ the 44-year-old wrote.

Actress Marlee Matlin, the only deaf actress to have won the Oscar for Best Actress (for her role in the 1987 movie Children of a Lesser God), also took to social media to express her sadness.

‘I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle,’ Marlee, 60, wrote. ‘May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity.’

Legendary Pictures, the production company behind the Godzilla movies, published a statement on X that reflected on the late actress’s ‘extraordinary heart, humanity, and light’.

‘We are devastated by the tragic passing of Kaylee Hottle,’ the statement read.

‘Through her unforgettable portrayal of Jia, Kaylee brought extraordinary heart, humanity, and light to Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse. She was a cherished member of our film family, and her kindness, warmth, and remarkable talent touched everyone fortunate enough to work alongside her. Our hearts are with her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her during this unimaginably difficult time.’

The actress from Atlanta, Georgia, was born in 2007 and, according to a 2024 interview with Chron, was scouted by casting director Sarah Halley Finn for the Godzilla role after appearing in an ad for the video relay service app Convo.

‘I had a connection with Convo. 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,’ she told the publication.

Talking about her creative process, she said at the time: ‘I would read the script, and [director] Adam [Wingard] would explain to me exactly what he wanted me to do. And I also had my parents’ support and translation of the script, and I just brought it to life.’

Her performance in the second movie was nominated for the Saturn Award for best performance by a younger actor at the 52nd Saturn Awards.

Elsewhere, Hottle also appeared in an episode of CBS’s Magnum P.I. reboot in 2021, where she played the character Joon.

She came from four generations of deaf family members on her father’s side. As of 2024, Hottle was attending Texas School for the Deaf.

Her school also shared a statement following news of her death.

In a Facebook post, it read: ‘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.’