Actress Kaylee Hottle dies at age 19 in car accident

Kaylee Hottle, a 19-year-old deaf actress known for her role as Jia in the Godzilla and King Kong film franchise, has died following a car accident in Maryland. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed to TMZ that the accident occurred on a Tuesday morning. Although initial reports from police indicated she was involved in a serious collision, she was pronounced dead while being transported to the hospital. Hottle, who came from a four-generation deaf family and used American Sign Language as her native language, made her film debut in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. She reprised her role in the 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, earning a Saturn Award nomination for best performance by a younger actor. In addition to her film work, she appeared in the series Magnum P.I. She was a prominent advocate for the inclusion of deaf actors in roles that portray deaf characters.