'Godzilla vs Kong' child star Kaylee Hottle dead at 18 after tragic car accident

Kaylee Hoddle, the young actress known for her role in the Godzilla vs. Kong franchise, has died after a tragic car accident. She was 18. Kaylee's father, Joshua Hoddle, confirmed the heartbreaking news to TMZ after sharing an emotional livestream on Facebook. According to Joshua, the fatal car crash happened in Maryland. He explained in American Sign Language that he was in Texas when authorities called to notify him about the collision. He later received another call informing him that Kaylee's heart had stopped while she was being transported to the hospital. Joshua said he was flying to Maryland to claim his daughter's body, referencing the trip in a 23-minute Facebook livestream captioned, I am taking a flight that I would never like to take. Following the news, social media users flooded the comments with messages of support, remembering Kaylee as a brilliant and kind young woman. Born in Atlanta in 2007, Kaylee was raised in Austin, Texas, where she attended the Texas School for the Deaf. She began acting at just 9 years old, making her debut in a commercial for Her breakout role came in 2021 when she starred as Gia in Godzilla vs. Kong. Her character lived on Skull Island with Dr. Eileen Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall, and shared a unique bond with King Kong through American Sign Language. During the film's release, Hall and co-star Alexander Skarsgård revealed they learned ASL to communicate with Kaylee on set. Skarsgård praised the young actress, calling her incredibly professional and saying he was amazed by how naturally she performed in front of the camera, despite it being her first movie. Kaylee also spoke about the importance of authentic representation, explaining through an interpreter that Deaf actors should play Deaf characters because they understand both the language and the culture. She returned as Gia in 2024's Godzilla X Kong The New Empire and also appeared as June in a season 4 episode of Magnum P.I. Kaylee Hoddle was just beginning what many believe would be a promising career, and her death marks a tragic loss for both the entertainment industry and the Deaf community.