Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actress known for her role as Jia in the Godzilla vs. Kong films, died in a car crash early July 21, 2026, in Frederick, Maryland. The accident occurred around 2:52 a.m. when the 1995 Honda Accord she was in veered off a two-lane highway and struck a culvert [1, 2]. Hottle, 18 years old, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver, a 19-year-old man, was injured but not critically, and another passenger declined treatment [1, 2]. Excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash [1, 2].
Hottle was born May 1, 2007, and came from a multi-generational deaf family; both her parents were deaf as well [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. She attended the Texas School for the Deaf, which confirmed her death and expressed condolences: "Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time" [3].
Her father, Joshua Hottle, announced her death in a tearful Facebook livestream using American Sign Language, saying: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take." He added he was flying to Maryland to handle arrangements and that officials informed him her heart stopped en route to the hospital [3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Kaylee Hottle started acting in 2017 with commercials, including one for the video relay app Convo, which led to film roles [4, 5]. She made her feature film debut as Jia in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong and reprised the role in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire [3, 4, 6]. The latter earned her a 2024 Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor [3, 1, 2].
Her role as Jia was notable for communicating with the creature Kong using American Sign Language (ASL). Co-stars Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård learned ASL to communicate with her on set. Skarsgård said, "This was her first movie. It was amazing how comfortable she was in front of the camera, and how quickly she could understand the director’s instructions. The director only needed to explain once, and she immediately said, 'Got it, got it,' and then did it perfectly. Everyone was amazed" [3, 4, 5].
She also appeared in an episode of the rebooted Magnum P.I. TV series [3, 4, 8, 6].
Public condolences have poured in from fans, the deaf community, and her school with calls to respect privacy and avoid speculation following the tragedy [3, 1, 4, 5].
Authorities continue investigating the crash that took her life. Joshua Hottle’s announcement was the first public confirmation of Kaylee’s passing on the day of the accident [3, 4].
