Godzilla vs Kong star Kaylee Hottle has died aged 18
Kaylee Hottle, best known for her role as Jia in the Godzilla vs Kong films, has tragically died aged 18.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, shared the devastating news in a 23-minute-long live stream on Facebook.
"I am taking a flight that I never would like to take," he wrote in the caption, as he flew to Texas from Maryland to bring home her body
According to Page Six, he explained in American Sign Language that authorities called him about the collision, and then called again to say her heart had stopped while she was being transported to the hospital.
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Kaylee, who was part of the deaf community, communicated with Kong in the Godzilla vs. Kong movies through sign language, after being born to an all-deaf family in 2007.
Her former school, Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, released a heartbreaking statement in the wake of her death.
They wrote: "It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland.
"Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly 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."
In an interview with Chron Magazine about the school in 2024, she noted: "It's a great school for deaf students to go to. I have deaf teachers, and everyone is able to communicate with me through sign language."
And speaking with Digital Spy about the importance of representation for the deaf community in film and TV in 2024, she added: "Jia being a deaf person in this world, it's so amazing to see her on the big screen.
"In general, I hope that feaf people see her and they think the same thing, that she is as amazing as I think she is."
Her Godzilla vs Kong co-stars, Alexander Skarsgard and Rebecca Hall, also pressed the importance of representation for the community, as they praised the late star in an interview with Junkee in 2021.
Skarsgard said: "It's fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director Adam [Wingard].
"He'll explain something and she'll be like, 'Got it, got it' then she'll just do it... She's so professional and there's so much going on on her face, her expression and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch."
Kaylee and her family are from Atlanta, Georgia, and she began her acting career in commercials at just nine years old.
She first starred in an advert for the live video messaging app Glide, which is now used by many members of the deaf community.
Topics: US News, Celebrity, Film and TV
Mia Williams