Kaylee Hottle, a deaf actor and native American Sign Language signer, died in a single-vehicle crash in Ijamsville, Maryland before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. Hottle was one of two passengers in the vehicle when it veered off the road and struck a culvert. The 19-year-old driver was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, while the other passenger declined medical treatment. Investigators identified excessive speed as a contributing factor in the collision, which remains under investigation.
Hottle gained recognition for her roles in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” where she portrayed an orphaned character named Jia who communicates with the film’s central creature using sign language. Her performances earned praise from co-stars including Millie Bobby Brown and Alexander Skarsgård, who learned sign language to work alongside her. Prior to her film career, Hottle appeared in a television episode of “Magnum P.I.” in 2021 and was slated to appear in the upcoming feature “What Doesn’t Kill Us.”
Hottle’s death prompted expressions of grief from members of the entertainment industry and the deaf community. Fellow deaf actors and Oscar winners Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur shared messages mourning her loss on social media. Her family, including parents Joshua and Ketsi Hottle and four siblings, all deaf themselves, shared emotional statements following the incident. Her father stated that Hottle’s cardiac function ceased before arrival at the hospital, and expressed forgiveness toward the vehicle’s driver.
The Texas School for the Deaf in Austin announced counseling and support services would be made available to Hottle’s classmates and friends at the institution.
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