Kylie Hotel, the deaf actress who played Jia in Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong, has died at the age of 18 in a car accident, and her father confirms the devastating news.

Kylie Hotel, the deaf actress best known for her role as Jia in Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died. She was 18 years old.Hotel died following a car accident in Frederick, Maryland, on Tuesday, July 21.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, announced the news during a Facebook Live broadcast in American Sign Language and later confirmed her death to TMZ.According to her father, paramedics treated the young actress at the scene before transporting her to the hospital. However, her heart reportedly stopped while she was being transported, and doctors were unable to revive her. The authorities did not release further details about the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Texas School for the Deaf Kylie Hotel confirms death

The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hotel was a senior, also confirmed her death in a statement posted on social media.“It is with deep sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD students, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland,” the school said.“Our thoughts are with Kylie’s family, friends, classmates and everyone who knew and loved her during this extremely difficult time.

At this time, we have very limited information and ask everyone to respect the privacy of Kylie’s family and to refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.Both Hottle and her father were deaf and came from a multi-generational deaf family.

Kaylee Hottle is best known for her role as Jia in the MonsterVerse

Kaylee Hottle had her big break in Hollywood with 2021’s Godzilla vs Kong, in which she played Jia, a deaf orphan who forms a special bond with Kong.

The character was adopted by Dr. Eileen Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall, and became one of the film’s emotional anchors.She reprized the role in 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, receiving widespread acclaim from audiences. Her performance also earned her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.News of Kylie Hotel’s death quickly spread across social media, with fans of the MonsterVerse series and members of the deaf community paying tribute to the young actor. She is remembered by many for bringing authentic deaf representation to a major Hollywood franchise and inspiring young deaf artists around the world.