‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ actress Kaylee Hottle dies at 18

WEB DESK: The deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for her role as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died following a car accident in Maryland. She was 18, according to multiple reports.

Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the tragic news to TMZ, saying his daughter died after the crash on Tuesday morning. He also revealed in an emotional social media post that Kaylee suffered cardiac arrest while being transported to the hospital.

Born into a four-generation deaf family, Hottle began her acting journey at a young age through commercials aimed at promoting communication and awareness within the deaf community. She made her feature film debut in 2021 as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong, portraying an orphaned deaf girl who develops a unique bond with King Kong.

Her performance earned widespread praise and established her as one of the breakout stars of the MonsterVerse franchise. She later returned as Jia in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, where her character again played a central emotional role in the story.

Beyond acting, Hottle became a strong advocate for authentic deaf representation in entertainment, highlighting the importance of casting deaf actors for deaf characters and increasing visibility for the deaf community in Hollywood.