Godzilla vs Kong actor Kaylee Hottle dies aged 18

Kaylee Hottle, who played a major role in Godzilla vs Kong and the sequel Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, has died at the age of 18.

Her death was confirmed by her father, Joshua, in a video shared on Facebook. The stream was in American Sign Language (ASL) as the Hottle family is all deaf. The video was titled: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take."

Hottle was killed in a car crash in Frederick, Maryland.

The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle attended, also shared the news, expressing condolences to her family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew her.

Hottle was known for playing Jia, a deaf orphan who forms a bond with Godzilla in the 2021 hit adventure film. She starred alongside Rebecca Hall, who played her adopted mother. Hall and co-star Alexander Skarsgård both learned ASL to communicate directly with Hottle on set.

In an interview, Hottle said: "I think some people see ASL and deafness as a barrier or a gift, but it’s just a language, and deaf is just deaf. We can do many things, just not hear. We need more deaf actresses and crew in the industry for people to see and normalize it."

She also appeared in the sequel Godzilla v Kong: The New Empire, released in 2024. The role earned her a nomination for best performance by a younger actor at the Saturn Awards.

"I’m acting in monster movies as a deaf person," she said in another interview. "I want deaf people to know that they can do that too, just like me. There are no limits."

Hottle also appeared in several commercials and in an episode of the rebooted Magnum P.I. television series.