A very sad and shocking news has come out from the Hollywood cinema world. Deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, who won the hearts of audiences across the world by playing the memorable character of ‘Jia’ in the blockbuster film ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, died in a tragic road accident at the age of just 18.
Kelly Hottle dies at the age of 18
This sad news was given by his father Joshua Hottle in American Sign Language through Facebook livestream. They later confirmed to TMZ that Kelly died in a road accident in Maryland. According to ‘Variety’, he was traveling from Texas to bring her body home.
The Texas School for the Deaf, where Kelly was a senior student, also confirmed her death in an emotional statement on social media. “It is with great sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that our TSD senior, Kelly Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland,” the school’s statement said.
“Our thoughts go out to Kelly’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this extremely difficult time. We have very little information at this time and we ask everyone to respect Kelly’s family’s privacy and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.”
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accident information
According to BBC, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said that this accident happened in Jamesville, Maryland at around 2:50 am local time on Tuesday. Investigators believe that high speed may have been a factor in this single-vehicle crash.
The 19-year-old driver suffered injuries, which were not life-threatening, and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said. Another passenger present in the vehicle refused to seek medical help on the spot.
What was Kelly Hottle’s role in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’?
Kelly made her acting debut as Zia in the 2021 film ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’. Jiya was a deaf and mute orphan girl who had a special relationship with Kong. He also played the same role in the film ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’, released in 2024. She appeared in this film alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall. He also received a nomination for the ‘Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor’ for his performance in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’. She was also preparing for many other acting projects.