On Tuesday, July 21, Kaylee Hottle, a child star best known for her roles in two “Godzilla” films, tragically passed away in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland.
She was only 18 years old.
Hottle was born into a deaf family. The Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in Texas released a statement on Tuesday saying, “With heavy hearts, we announce the heartbreaking news that our senior student Kaylee Hottle has passed away.”
The statement added, “During this extremely difficult time, our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved her.”
According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, in the early hours of Tuesday, a 19-year-old driver’s 1995 Honda Accord veered off the road and crashed into a culvert.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that the driver was injured and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in the car refused treatment at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that Hottle was another passenger in the car. She was taken to a trauma center from the accident scene and was later pronounced dead. The office stated, “Speeding is believed to be a contributing factor to the accident.”
The school urged everyone to respect the privacy of Kaylee’s family and not spread or speculate on information regarding the accident.
Kaylee’s father, Joshua Hottle, posted a video on Facebook announcing the news of his daughter’s passing. In the video, he used American Sign Language throughout.
“I am on a journey that I never wanted to take,” he said. He mentioned that he was flying from Texas to Maryland.
It is currently unclear why Hottle was in Maryland at the time of the accident.
Hottle portrayed the deaf girl Jia in the 2021 film “Godzilla vs. Kong” and reprised her role in “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in 2024.
Her portrayal of the deaf girl Jia and her unique connection with Kong received widespread acclaim and helped increase representation of deaf actors in major Hollywood productions.
In a 2024 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Hottle praised her alma mater and spoke about her experiences as a deaf actress.
She told the media, “I hope to inspire young deaf actresses when they see me on screen and to give them the opportunity to pursue a career in Hollywood. But what I most hope for is that they, especially the deaf community, will be inspired when they see me on screen and develop a desire to become actors themselves.”
(Reference: NBC News)