Deaf 'Godzilla' star Kaylee Hottle dies in car crash at 18

Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actress who played Jia in the "Godzilla" franchise, died early Tuesday morning in a car crash in Ijamsville, Maryland. She was 18.

The crash

Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that left the road and struck a culvert before 3 a.m., the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said. Excessive speed is believed to be a factor; the investigation continues. The 19-year-old driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and another passenger declined treatment Source: AP. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the death in a Facebook livestream in American Sign Language, saying he was on his way to Maryland to bring her body home Source: CNN.

A rising star

Hottle's film debut came in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, where she played Jia, a deaf orphan who communicates with Kong via sign language. She reprised the role in 2024's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, earning a Saturn Award nomination for best younger performer Source: BBC. Her character's portrayal was widely praised for bringing representation to the blockbuster franchise. Hottle, a native ASL user, came from a multigenerational deaf family and was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf Source: Guardian.

Tributes

Co-stars and deaf celebrities shared grief online. Millie Bobby Brown wrote she was "so devastated" Source: CNN. Alexander Skarsgård, who learned ASL to communicate with Hottle, praised her professionalism Source: AP. Oscar winner Marlee Matlin said, "I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity" .