Entertainment

Eighteen-year-old American actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for her starring role as Jia in the blockbuster films Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has tragically died following a car crash in Maryland. According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the single-vehicle accident occurred early Tuesday morning at around 2:52 a.m. when a 1995 Honda Accord carrying Hottle and another passenger veered off the road and struck a culvert in Ijamsville. Authorities believe excessive speed was a contributing factor in the fatal collision. ​Hottle, who was deaf and native in American Sign Language (ASL), gained international acclaim for portraying the young orphan girl who communicates directly with King Kong. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her passing in a moving video posted in ASL on social media, expressing profound grief alongside co-stars like Millie Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall, who paid emotional tributes online. The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, also released a statement mourning the tremendous loss of their student. ​"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." — Texas School for the Deaf ​Tragically Cut Short The 18-year-old star was celebrated for bringing authentic deaf representation to Hollywood blockbusters. ​Best known for playing Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong (2024). ​Nominated in 2024 for a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor. ​Remembered by Hollywood co-stars and the deaf community as an inspiring young talent.

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