Deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for her role as Jia in the Godzilla film franchise has died at age 18 following a car crash in Maryland early Tuesday morning according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle went off the road and struck a culvert in Ijamsville before 3 a.m. Authorities believe excessive speed was a contributing factor in the incident remains under investigation. The driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and another passenger declined medical care.
Hottle gained international recognition in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and its sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). Her character communicated with Kong using American Sign Language (ASL) mirroring Hottle’s real-life identity as a native signer from a Deaf family.
Her parents shared emotional video messages in ASL with her father expressing forgiveness toward the driver.
Prominent figures in Hollywood and the Deaf community with co-stars Millie Bobby Brown and Alexander Skarsgård alongside Oscar winners Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur expressed deep grief and paid tribute to her talent and memory. The Texas School for the Deaf also released a statement offering counseling services to her peers.
