Remembering Kaylee Hottle, the Voice Behind Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Kaylee Hottle, the young deaf actress best known for her breakout role in Godzilla vs. Kong, who passed away on July 21 at just 18 years old following a car accident in Ijamsville, Maryland.

What Happened?

The news was shared by Hottle’s father, Joshua Hottle, in an American Sign Language video posted on Facebook, where he said, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.” According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Windsor Road around 2:52 a.m., where a car carrying three occupants veered off the road and struck a culvert. Investigators believe excessive speed was a contributing factor. Hottle was airlifted to a trauma center, where she later passed away. The other two occupants survived, with the driver sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

Who Was Kaylee Hottle?

Born into a multi-generational deaf family, Hottle was a native American Sign Language user long before she stepped into the spotlight. She got her start in commercial work, including a 2017 video supporting the deaf community, before being scouted for Adam Wingard’s 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong.

Career Highlights

In Godzilla vs. Kong, Hottle played Jia, an orphaned Iwi native who forms a deep, sign-language-based bond with Kong — a performance that made her a standout of the film and one that she reprised in the 2024 sequel to widespread praise.

Tributes have poured in from across the industry, including from Millie Bobby Brown and deaf advocates Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur, honoring both her talent and the representation she brought to the screen.

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