Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla actor, dies after Maryland crash at 18
The Texas School for the Deaf said Kaylee Hottle, who played Jia in two Godzilla films, died after a single-vehicle crash in Frederick County.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Kaylee Hottle, the young actor known for playing Jia in two recent Godzilla films, died Tuesday after a single-vehicle crash in Frederick County, Maryland, authorities and her school said. She was 18.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a senior, announced her death Tuesday and said the school community was grieving.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away,” the school said in a statement.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened just before 3 a.m. in Ijamsville. According to the sheriff’s office, a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man left the road and struck a culvert.
Hottle was one of two passengers in the car, the sheriff’s office said. She was taken from the scene to a trauma center, where she was pronounced dead.
The driver was hospitalized with injuries the sheriff’s office described as not life-threatening. A second passenger declined medical treatment at the crash scene, according to authorities.
The sheriff’s office said “excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.” The agency said the fatal crash remains under investigation.
A school community in mourning
The Texas School for the Deaf asked people to give Hottle’s family privacy and to avoid sharing or speculating about the circumstances of the crash.
“Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” the school said.
The school said counseling services would be available for students and staff, adding that Hottle’s death would have a significant effect on the TSD community.
“Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the school said.
Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, posted a video on Facebook announcing his daughter’s death. In the video, he communicated in American Sign Language. According to NBC affiliate WBAL in Baltimore, he said, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” and said he was traveling from Texas to Maryland.
It was not immediately clear why Hottle was in Maryland at the time of the crash, NBC News reported.
Her role in the MonsterVerse
Hottle played Jia in 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” and returned to the role in 2024’s “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.”
In a 2024 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Hottle spoke about acting as a deaf woman and the example she hoped to set for others.
“I’d like to see more deaf young actresses get motivated when they see me on screen and hopefully they’ll have a chance in Hollywood as well,” she told the outlet. “But I just hope that they’ll be inspired, especially deaf people, to be inspired to want to be an actor or actress when they see me on screen.”
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.