Kaylee Hottle, a deaf actress who portrayed Jia in the Godzilla vs. Kong films, was killed in a car accident early Tuesday. She was 18 years old.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed Kaylee’s death to TMZ and shared the news in an emotional Facebook video delivered in American Sign Language.
In 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, Hottle played Jia, a young deaf orphan and the last surviving member of the Iwi tribe who forms a special bond with King Kong through sign language. She reprised the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, earning a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
