Korean-American Actress Kaylee Hottle Dies At 18 

Kaylee Hottle, best known for appearing in the Godzilla films, has tragically passed away at the age of 18.

According to authorities, Hottle died following a single-vehicle crash in  Maryland, just before 3 AM on Tuesday.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said a 1995 Honda Accord carrying three people left a two-lane road. Police believe excessive speed was “a contributing factor in the crash.”

Hottle was identified as one of the passengers. She was taken to a local trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

The 19-year-old driver was hospitalized with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, while the third passenger declined medical treatment at the scene.

Born in Atlanta, Hottle had an American father and a Korean mother. She was also deaf, with deafness running through her father’s family for four generations. At the time of her passing, she was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.

Hottle made her acting debut as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and later reprised the role in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Her performances were widely praised, and she became an inspiration to many as one of the few deaf actresses to appear in a major Hollywood franchise.