Los Angeles, California – Godzilla vs. Kong star Kaylee Hottle has died in a car accident at just 18 years old.
Kaylee’s father, Joshua Hottle, shared the sad news in a 23‑minute Facebook livestream on Tuesday. He explained in American Sign Language that he had to travel from Texas to receive his daughter’s body.
The visibly distraught father said he learned that Kaylee had been involved in a serious car accident on Tuesday morning in Maryland.
Shortly after that initial shock, authorities called him to say that her heart had stopped on the way to the hospital.
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Kaylee grew up in a deaf family in Atlanta, Georgia. She began her acting career at the age of nine, appearing in various commercials.
One of the most successful spots was for the live‑video messaging app Glide, which is widely used by members of the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing community.
In 2021, Kaylee played Jia in the sci‑fi action film Godzilla vs. Kong. In the film, the teenager, who lives on Skull Island with Rebecca Hall’s character Dr. Ilene Andrews, communicates with King Kong using sign language.
Kaylee reprised her role in the 2024 sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire.
The young actor also appeared in a reboot of the hit TV series Magnum PI, playing a character named Joon in a season 4 episode.
