Teen actor Kaylee Hottle has died in a car accident

American actor Kaylee Hottle, best known for her breakout role as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong, has died. News of her death was confirmed by her father, Joshua Hottle, on July 21.

As reported by Forbes and TMZ, Hottle confirmed that his daughter was involved in a car accident earlier Tuesday in Maryland, which tragically resulted in her death. According to her official IMDb profile, Hottle was just 19; however, her father signed in a video that she was 18.

Hottle's father shared the news of the actor's death in an emotional Facebook Live, conducted in ASL, which he titled: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take."

Shortly after the live, he also posted a tribute for his daughter in the form of a throwback video of her performing "One Day" by Cochren & Co. in ASL. "She sang the song beautifully! We all will miss her dearly," he captioned the post.

Hottle's grandmother Raysa Carlson commented on the post, writing: “Now my prayer is that people will be impacted by her strong faith and that she is now in the promised land she sings about. I know she would want it shared now.”

Hottle was deaf and reportedly born to an all-deaf family. Her first breakout role was in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. Her character, Jia, was also deaf and communicated via ASL. Hottle would go on to reprise her role in 2024's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Aside from the Godzilla franchise, she also appeared in an episode of CBS's Magnum P.I. in 2021. She kept a relatively low profile on social media; her last post on Instagram dates back to 2021.

In an interview with Junkee, Hottle's Godzilla costar Alexander Skarsgård, who reportedly learned ASL to communicate with her, praised her acting style and professionalism, saying, "It's fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director, Adam (Wingard). He'll explain something, and she'll be like, 'Got it, got it,' then she'll just do it, and everyone's like 'the f*ck … how did she?' She's so professional and just incredibly … there's so much going on on her face, her expression, and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch."

Though Hottle hailed from Georgia, she studied at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, which also posted a tribute to the actor upon news of her passing. "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," the Facebook tribute reads. "Our hearts are with Kaylee's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time."

Teen Vogue has reached out to Kaylee Hottle's team for an additional statement.