HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Kaylee Hottle attends the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures world premiere of "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKaylee Hottle, who starred in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, has died.The actress’ father, Joshua Hottle, told TMZ that his daughter died in a car accident Tuesday morning, which happened in Ijamsville, Md. A press release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland reported that Hottle was 18. The sheriff’s press release noted that it was a single-vehicle crash that happened around 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday, adding, “The preliminary investigation revealed that a 1995 Honda Accord, operated by a 19-year-old Frederick man, traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert. Excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.”ForbesHal Williams, ‘Sanford And Son’ And ‘227’ Star, Dies At 91By Tim LammersThe release noted that the driver was “transported to a local hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening,” and the other passenger “declined medical treatment at the scene … Hottle was transported from the scene to an area trauma center, where she was later pronounced deceased."Kaylee Hottle, who was deaf and a member of an all-deaf family, communicated with Kong in the Godzilla vs. Kong movies through sign language. Joshua Hottle shared the news of his daughter’s death through American Sign Language (ASL) on a 23-minute-long Facebook livestream. In the livestream video post, which was taken in Texas, Joshua Hottle wrote, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.”MORE FOR YOUIn 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, Hottle’s Jia is a native of Skull Island, who at the beginning of the film presents a handmade doll to Kong and plays a pivotal role throughout the film. Hottle reprised the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. In both films, Jia is taken under the wing of Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall.Alexander Skarsgård, who starred opposite Hottle in Godzilla vs. Kong, told the Australian outlet Junkee in 2021 that he and Hall learned ASL to communicate with the actress when the cameras weren’t rolling. Skarsgård was floored by the poise of Hottle, who was 9 years old at the time of filming.ForbesSam Neill, ‘Jurassic Park’ Franchise Star, Dies At 78By Tim Lammers“It’s her first movie,” Skarsgård told Junkee. “It’s fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director Adam (Wingard). He’ll explain something and she’ll be like ‘got it, got it’ then she’ll just do it and everyone’s like ‘the f--k … how did she?’ She’s so professional and just incredibly … there’s so much going on on her face, her expression and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch.”Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire earned Hottle a Best Younger Performer in a Film Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in 2025.HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: (L-R) Brian Tyree Henry, Fala Chen, Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle and Dan Stevens attend the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures world premiere of "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHottle Was A Senior At Texas School For The DeafHottle, who was born in Atlanta, went on to attend the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland,” The school wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.”In addition to her Godzilla vs. Kong films, Hottle appeared in an episode of CBS’ Magnum P.I. reboot in 2021. Prior to her work in film and television, Hottle, who was fluent in ASL, appeared in commercials for the deaf community. One of Hottle’s commercials, for the video relay service app Convo, helped the actress land the role of Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong.ForbesWai Ching Ho, Madame Gao In ‘Daredevil’ And Other Marvel Shows, Dies At 82By Tim Lammers“I had a connection with Convo. They asked me to be in a commercial one day, and so I did that commercial,” Hottle, who lived in Katy, Texas, told the Houston Chronicle using ASL in March 2024. “And then the assistant director of [Kong: Skull Island] saw me and they thought I matched the character description of Jia.”July 21: This story has been updated to include information about the accident and clarification of Kaylee Hottle’s age from a press release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland. It has also been updated with an interview quote from Hottle.ForbesPeter Van Norden, ‘Police Academy’ And ‘Naked Gun’ Star, Dies At 75By Tim Lammers