Kaylee Hottle has sadly passed away at the age of 18. She was best known for playing the role of Jia in two Godzilla movies. Kaylee's father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed that his daughter had died in a car crash on Tuesday, July 21. The accident occurred in Maryland, per TMZ.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In a heartfelt live stream that lasted 21 minutes, Joshua shared the news both verbally and in American Sign Language (ASL). Joshua had learned to sign due to Kaylee being deaf. During the livestream, he shared that he would now be flying from Texas to Maryland in order to claim Kaylee's body.
Joshua also revealed that after he learned of the car accident, officials called him to inform him that Kaylee's heart had stopped en route to the hospital.
Kaylee Hottle Got Her Start in Commercials
Before Kaylee got her break on the big screen, she began her acting career working on commercials. Kaylee, who comes from a "multi-generational deaf family," initially worked on a PSA for the messaging app Glide, which has become a staple for the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Kaylee took that role at the young age of nine. Since then, she's worked her way up, ultimately landing her two roles on Godzilla. However, according to IMDB, Kaylee also played Joon in a single episode of the modern-day Magnum PI. Her lone appearance on the show came in 2021.
Tributes Pour in for Kaylee Hottle on Social Media
Once the news of Kaylee's death broke on social media, fans began paying tribute in their droves, many of whom came in the comment section of the news.
"Oh that is devastating," one user wrote. "My condolences to her family, way too young. Be safe on the roads, people."
"Absolutely heartbreaking news," another user shared. "She was so talented and brought such incredible representation to the MonsterVerse films. Rest in peace."
A third user echoed a similar sentiment, "Wow, what a shock this morning. Rest in peace to this sweet girl. Loved her in the movies. She was a rising star. This is genuinely so sad."
An investigation will likely take place regarding the fatal car crash. Currently, no further information has been made available. RIP, Kaylee.
