Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actor known for her role as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong. The New Empire is dead. He is 18 years old.Hottle died after a car accident in Frederick, Maryland, on Tuesday, July 21. His father, Joshua Hottle, announced the news in a Facebook livestream in American Sign Language and later confirmed his death to TMZ.According to his father, emergency responders treated the young actor at the scene before taking him to the hospital. However, his heart reportedly stopped while he was being transported, and doctors were unable to resuscitate him. Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Texas School for the Deaf confirmed the death of Kaylee Hottle
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, also confirmed his death in a statement shared on social media.“It is with deep sadness that we share the sad news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland,” the school said.“Our hearts go out to Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this extremely 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.”Hottle and his father are both deaf and belong to a multi-generational deaf family.
Kaylee Hottle is famous as Jia in MonsterVerse
Kaylee Hottle made her Hollywood breakthrough in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, where he played Jia, a deaf orphan who forms a special relationship with Kong. The character adopted by Dr. Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall, becomes one of the film’s emotional anchors.He reprized the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong. The New Empire, got widespread praise from the audience. His performance also earned him a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Young Actor.News of Kaylee Hottle’s death spread quickly on social media, with fans of the MonsterVerse franchise and members of the deaf community paying tribute to the young actor. He is remembered by many for bringing true deaf representation to a major Hollywood franchise and inspiring young deaf performers around the world.