It is a father delivering the worst news of his life himself - in sign language, in front of a running camera, for nearly 23 minutes. Joshua Hottle sat down in front of his smartphone on Tuesday and shared with the world that his daughter Kaylee is dead. The young actress, who became known as Jia in 'Godzilla vs. Kong', died in a car accident in Maryland. She was only 18 years old.
The celebrity portal TMZ, which first reported the news, was told by the father that his daughter had died in the early hours of Tuesday morning U.S. time. First, he learned of a serious accident, then shortly after, the second call came: Kaylee's heart had stopped beating on the way to the hospital. He had to fly in from Texas to identify the body.
Tragic car accident
According to local authorities, Kaylee Hottle was sitting as a passenger in a Honda Accord when the driver veered off the road and crashed into a roadside ditch. The Texas School for the Deaf, where Hottle was in her senior year, confirmed the student's death in an Instagram post and urgently requested that the family's privacy be respected and that there be no speculation about the circumstances of the accident.
The girl who spoke with King Kong
In 2021, she played the character Jia in 'Godzilla vs. Kong', a native of Skull Island who can communicate with the giant ape Kong. Not with words, but through sign language. In 2024, Hottle returned for 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire'.
Her colleagues from 'Godzilla vs. Kong' learned sign language for her. Hollywood star Alexander Skarsgård (49) reported during the film's launch that he and Rebecca Hall (44) learned American Sign Language to be able to talk with the girl between takes.
In addition to the two monster films, Hottle appeared in one episode of the 'Magnum P.I.' reboot, playing a character named Joon.
