Deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, known for her roles in the 'Godzilla x Kong' films, died in a car accident

Kaylee Hottle/Shutterstock

Kaylee Hottle, the trailblazing deaf actress known for her role as the young orphan Jia in the Godzilla X King Kong films, Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, tragically died in a car accident on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Maryland. Her age at the time of death is being published as 18. Yet, her reported birth year of 2007 would have made the actress 19 in May.

In her films, Kaylee formed a close friendship with King Kong by communicating with him in American Sign Language (ASL) and other types of non verbal communication.

Most of the actress’s immediate family members are reported to be deaf. She comes from a multi-generational deaf family on her father's side. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed her death during a Facebook Live session in ASL, as reported by multiple media outlets. He shared that he was traveling from Texas to Maryland due to the accident.

IMDb

The actress's mother, Ketsi, responded to her death on social media in ASL as well. She shared a post that included a selfie with her daughter as the cover photo, writing: "Privilege to be your mom, Kaylee Hottle."

According to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in Maryland, Kaylee was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the fatal collision. Her car was reportedly struck by a speeding vehicle, although her car's driver reportedly did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Tributes for the young star have been pouring in on social media. Her current school, the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in Austin, paid tribute to her as well.

Several of her co-stars, including Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, and Marlee Matlin, also expressed their heartfelt condolences online.

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