Korean-American actor Kaylee Hottle, who appeared in the Godzilla movie series, has passed away in a traffic accident at the age of 18.

According to U.S. entertainment media outlet People on the 21st (local time), Hottle's father, Joshua Hottle, announced that his daughter died in a traffic accident that occurred early that morning in Maryland, USA.

Joshua shared through a social media live broadcast conducted in American Sign Language (ASL), "Kaylee passed away due to a traffic accident in Maryland. I am planning to take a flight from Texas to Maryland to see my daughter."

Hottle, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, was born into a family with generations of deaf family members. Hottle's mother is known to be a Korean-American. Both her parents and Hottle are deaf and fluent in sign language.

Hottle gained recognition among the public by playing the role of Jia in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong. Jia was a deaf girl who communicated with King Kong using sign language. She reprised her role as Jia in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Millie Bobby Brown, who rose to stardom through the Stranger Things series and co-starred with Hottle in Godzilla vs. Kong, posted a black-and-white photo on her SNS story of Hottle holding a King Kong toy, writing, "I am in absolute shock after hearing this news. Kaylee, you will be missed so much."

 

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Reported by Kim Ji-hye, SBS Entertainment News)