Kaylee Hottle, a deaf actor best known for her starring role in two “Godzilla” films, died in a car crash in Maryland early Tuesday morning, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said. She was 19.
Hottle was one of two passengers in the car when it went off the road and hit a culvert in Ijamsville before 3 a.m. The driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the other passenger declined medical treatment, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, which is under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
Hottle was a native signer of American Sign Language, and her family members are also deaf. Her parents, Joshua and Ketsi Hottle, shared emotional video statements about her death on social media sites.
“Kaylee’s mom and four siblings are crushed,” her father said in ASL in a post from an airport. “They are together at home, grieving. I am on my way to Maryland to bring Kaylee’s body back home.”
Hottle’s heart stopped before she arrived at a hospital, transported by air from the scene of the accident, her father said. “Very grateful for the years we had together — and wish we had more,” he said.
Joshua Hottle also reached out to the driver, described by the sheriff’s office as a 19-year-old Frederick man.
“I have forgiven you,” her father said. “Don’t let this incident ruin the rest of your life.”
In “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” Hottle played an orphaned girl named Jia who sees beyond Kong’s threatening appearance and forms a special bond with the monster, communicating with him using sign language.
“I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee,” her “Godzilla” co-star Millie Bobby Brown posted on Instagram.
Co-star Alexander Skarsgård, who learned ASL to communicate with Hottle, told the pop culture website Junkee in 2021 that he and others were impressed by the young ingenue’s professionalism and her ability to quickly incorporate the director’s notes into her acting.
Hottle previously appeared in a 2021 television episode of “Magnum P.I.” She was listed as appearing in the upcoming film “What Doesn’t Kill Us.”
“I’m so heartbroken. My heart goes out to her family during this unimaginable time,” Alaqua Cox, her co-star in that film and fellow deaf actor, wrote on Instagram.
Other prominent deaf actors also shared messages of grief online.
“I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,” Oscar winner Marlee Matlin wrote on Instagram.
Fellow Oscar winner Troy Kotsur, who starred in the film “Coda,” wrote that Hottle’s death made him think of his own daughter, and reminded him not to take time for granted.
“I have no words to express on what happened this morning,” Kotsur wrote, offering his “deepest condolences” to the Hottle family.
Officials with Texas School for the Deaf in Austin also announced Hottle’s death on Facebook, writing that counseling and support services would be available to her classmates and friends.
“Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the school wrote.
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