Kaylee Hottle, the deaf American actress who played Jia in the blockbuster film ‘Godzilla vs Kong’, has died in a car crash at the age of 18.
Hottle died following a single-vehicle collision in Ijamsville, Maryland, in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said the crash occurred at about 2:52 a.m. on Windsor Road.
Investigators said Hottle was one of two passengers travelling in a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man when the vehicle left the two-lane road and struck a culvert.
Hottle was taken to a trauma centre, where she was pronounced dead. The driver sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening, while the other passenger declined treatment at the scene.
Excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash, although the authorities said the investigation remained ongoing. Frederick County Sheriff’s Office
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the actress’ death in an emotional Facebook video delivered in American Sign Language.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, described her death as a “tremendous loss”.
“Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” the school said.
It appealed for the family’s privacy to be respected and warned against speculation about the circumstances of the crash.
The school added that counselling and other support services would be provided for students and staff affected by her death.
Kaylee Hottle’s impact on deaf representation
Hottle rose to international prominence after portraying Jia in the 2021 film ‘Godzilla vs Kong’.
Her character was a deaf orphan who formed a special bond with Kong and communicated with him through sign language.
Hottle reprised the role in the 2024 sequel, ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’, earning a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
Before entering the film industry, she appeared in commercials and projects promoting awareness and inclusion for members of the deaf community. She also appeared in an episode of the rebooted ‘Magnum P.I.’ television series.
Although her screen career was brief, Hottle’s presence in a major Hollywood franchise carried significance beyond entertainment. As a deaf performer portraying a deaf character, she provided authentic representation and showed young deaf viewers that disability did not have to exclude them from blockbuster cinema.
Her co-stars Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård learned American Sign Language to communicate with her on set. Hottle had also spoken publicly about the need for more deaf actors and crew members in the entertainment industry
