Child actor Kaylee Hottle killed in car crash

Kaylee Hottle, a child actor best-known for her role in two “Godzilla” movies, died in a car crash early Tuesday near Frederick, Maryland, officials said. She was 18. “It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away,” the Texas School for the Deaf said in a statement Tuesday. “Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” said the school, located in Austin. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said a 1995 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old man, traveled off the two-lane road and hit a culvert just before 3 a.m. in Ijamsville. “Excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the collision,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. The driver was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said. Hottle was one of two passengers in the car, the office said. She was transported from the scene of the crash to a trauma center, where she was pronounced dead. The second passenger refused medical treatment at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. Hottle was deaf. Her father, Joshua Hottle, posted a video on Facebook announcing his daughter’s death. In the video, he spoke only in American Sign Language. “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” he said, according to NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore. He said he was flying to Maryland from Texas. Hottle played Jia in 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and reprised the role in “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” in 2024. “We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community,” the school said, noting that counseling services will be available for students and staff who may need them. “Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the school wrote. Hottle spoke highly of her school in a 2024 interview with the Houston Chronicle, while also discussing the life being an actor had afforded her as a deaf woman. “I’d like to see more deaf young actresses get motivated when they see me on screen and hopefully they’ll have a chance in Hollywood as well,” she told the outlet. “But I just hope that they’ll be inspired, especially deaf people, to be inspired to want to be an actor or actress when they see me on screen.” Among those issuing statements of support Tuesday was Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin. Matlin said on Instagram that she was honored to meet Hottle last year. “I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle. May her beauty and talent be a memory for eternity,” Matlin said.