Kaylee Hottle, the young actress best known for playing Jia in the MonsterVerse films Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died at the age of 18 following a car accident. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the news.
“Farewell to Kaylee Hottle” Godzilla vs. Kong Star, Dies at 18
According to TMZ, the accident took place in Maryland. Joshua Hottle said he was in Texas at the time and was first contacted by authorities about the crash. A short time later, he received a second call informing him that his daughter’s heart had stopped while she was being taken to the hospital. In a message he later shared on social media, he wrote simply: “I’m taking a flight I never wanted to take.”
Who Was Kaylee Hottle?
Born in 2007 in Atlanta, Kaylee Hottle was deaf from birth and came from a family with four generations of deaf members on her father’s side. She began working as a young child, appearing in a number of commercials, including one for the Glide app, which had built a strong following within the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Her Breakout Role in Godzilla vs. Kong
Her biggest opportunity came in 2021, when she was cast as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong — a young girl who communicates with Kong through sign language. The character resonated widely with audiences, and Hottle reprised the role in the 2024 sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
In a 2024 interview, Hottle spoke about what it meant to represent the deaf community on screen and about how limited opportunities for deaf actors in Hollywood still were at the time. “I’m seeing more and more growth and positivity,” she said, expressing hope that the industry would keep moving toward greater inclusion.
Her sudden death has left a lasting impact on the film community and on the many young viewers who saw themselves reflected in her performance.