Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla vs Kong actress, dies at 18

Actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for her role in two 'Godzilla' films has died.

admin July 21, 2026 2 minutes read

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Actress Kaylee Hottle attends the world premiere of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on March 25, 2024. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for her role in two ‘Godzilla’ films has died.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office says she was one of two passengers in a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old Frederick man. Investigators say the vehicle traveled off the right side of the two-lane roadway and struck a culvert. Deputies say excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.

The sheriff’s office says Hottle was transported from the scene to an area trauma center where she was later pronounced deceased, and the driver was transported to a local hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The other passenger declined medical treatment at the scene

Her father, Joshua Hottle, shared a Facebook post about his daughter and her mother also shared a Facebook post. They both used American Sign Language (ASL) in their video posts.

Hottle, who was deaf, portrayed the character Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong’ and ‘Godzilla vs Kong: The New Empire.’

Hottle was a native of Atlanta, Georgia and started her acting career in commercials, TMZ reports. In addition to her role in the Godzilla movies, she also played a character named Joon in the ‘Magnum P.I.” reboot series.