A 18-year-old actress from Texas, best known for her role as Jia in the “Godzilla” film franchise, has died following a car crash on July 22 in Maryland.
State authorities and medical officials confirmed that she suffered multiple blunt force injuries. The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death an accident.
The collision occurred on a two-lane road when a vehicle carrying three people veered off the road and struck a culvert. According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, a preliminary investigation determined that a 19-year-old man was operating the vehicle and that “excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision.” The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while a second passenger declined treatment at the scene.
Hottle’s father, Jonathan Hottle, first shared news of his daughter’s death during a Facebook livestream on July 21. Captioning the video, he stated: “I am taking a flight I never would like to take,” adding that he was traveling to Maryland to claim her body. During the video, he noted that authorities informed him her heart had stopped en route to the hospital from the crash site.
Hottle rose to fame playing Jia, a deaf orphan who forms a bond with Kong, in the 2021 adventure film “Godzilla vs. Kong.” She reprised her role alongside her onscreen adoptive mother, played by Rebecca Hall, in the 2024 sequel “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” earning her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Performer.
Her career also included commercial appearances and a guest role in an episode of the “Magnum P.I.” reboot.
Hollywood colleagues have released tributes. Legendary Pictures stated: “Through her unforgettable portrayal of Jia, Kaylee brought extraordinary heart, humanity, and light to Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse.” Co-star Millie Bobby Brown shared a message expressing devastation: “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee.”
