Joshua Hottle, her father, confirmed the news on 21/7, according to TMZ. On his personal Facebook, he expressed his grief in American Sign Language, stating, "I'm on a journey I never wanted to take."

Kaylee Hottle in "Godzilla vs. Kong". *Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures*

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office reported that around 2:52 am on 21/7, authorities received a report of an accident involving a 1995 Honda Accord in Ijamsville, near Baltimore. Initial investigations show the 19-year-old driver, a Frederick County resident, drove off the right side of the road and crashed into a drainage culvert. Authorities believe high speed was likely the cause of the accident. The incident remains under investigation.

Kaylee Hottle, a resident of Kyle, Texas, was one of two passengers in the vehicle. She was transported to a hospital but did not survive. The other passenger was not injured, and the driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Representatives from the Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was a student, offered their condolences, stating, "Our thoughts are with Kaylee's family, friends, classmates, and all who loved her during this incredibly difficult time."

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Trailer for "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021), featuring Kaylee Hottle's character from the 27th second. *Video: Warner Bros. Pictures*

Born in 2007, Kaylee Hottle came from a family with four generations of congenital deafness in Georgia, US. She made her big-screen debut in 2021 with "Godzilla vs. Kong" and returned for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" (2024).

She played Jia, an orphaned girl with congenital hearing loss, rescued by Kong on Skull Island and later adopted by Doctor Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Jia's ability to communicate with Kong through sign language created many emotional scenes in the film series.

In a 2021 interview with VnExpress, Hottle stated, "With this role, I felt like I was truly myself. I didn't study acting. Because I'm deaf, I constantly use sign language and facial expressions. That helped me when filming. Working with other colleagues also taught me a lot."

Despite being unable to hear or speak, Hottle enjoyed musical films and dance. She hoped to play a dancer in the future. "If you have a dream, pursue it. Don't let conditions like deafness stop you," the actress once said.

Before her debut film, Hottle appeared in a 2017 commercial for Convo, a video calling application for the deaf. Her performance impressed the "Godzilla vs. Kong" team, leading to her casting. During filming, Director Adam Wingard provided detailed instructions for each scene, while her parents helped translate the script into sign language.

In a 2021 interview with Junkee (Australia), actor Alexander Skarsgård, who played Doctor Nathan Lind, praised Hottle. He noted that "Godzilla vs. Kong" was Hottle's first film, yet she displayed confidence on camera, collaborated effectively with the director and crew, and left a lasting impression through her ability to convey emotion with her facial expressions.

*Cat Tien (according to TMZ, Hollywood Reporter)*