Actress Kaylee Hottle — best known for her role as Jia in two Godzilla films — died on Tuesday at the age of 19.
The actress’ father, Joshua Hottle, told TMZ his daughter was killed in a car accident in Maryland during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Hottle’s father also posted a nearly 23-minute-long video to social media in which he revealed via American Sign Language that his daughter had died, adding that he had to fly from Texas to claim her body.
“I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,” Joshua Hottle wrote in the caption of his post.
Watch Below:
I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.
Posted by Joshua Hottle on Tuesday, July 21, 2026
In the video, the actress’ father explains that he learned Hottle was involved in a serious car accident, and that shortly after receiving this news, officials had called to inform him her heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
The 19-year-old actress — born in Atlanta, Georgia — came from a multi-generational deaf family, and was also deaf herself.
She is best known for her roles as Jia — a teenager who communicates with King Kong through American Sign Language — in the 2021 film, Godzilla vs. Kong, and in the 2024 movie, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.
Hottle, who got her start in commercials, also appeared as Joon on one episode of the TV series, Magnum P.I..
At just 9 years old, the actress appeared in a Public Service Announcement for the live video messaging app Glide, which is used by many members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Fire and Rescue Services responded to the car crash around 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a report by CBS News.
A preliminary investigation reportedly found that a 1995 Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old man traveled off a road and struck a culvert. Investigators added that they believe excessive speed was a contributing factor in the crash.
The driver was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a third person who was in the vehicle declined medical services at the scene of the car accident.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.