(PHOTO) Midnight tragedy: A deaf movie star who was only 18 years old died in a car accident

An 18-year-old actress, Kaylee Hottle, died in a severe traffic accident in Maryland. She had gained international recognition through her roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the tragic news to American media, stating that she passed away on the way to the hospital following the crash. In a heartfelt message using sign language, he said he was heading to a journey he would never wish upon anyone. He explained that he was traveling from Texas to Maryland to claim his daughter's remains. Kaylee was deaf, and this characteristic marked both her personal life and career path. Her family has been deaf for four generations. Her acting career began in 2017 with an advertisement for the app Convo, designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This ad led to her being cast in the Kong franchise, where she played the role of Jie, an orphan girl who communicates with Kong using sign language. She reprised this role in the 2024 sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, for which she received a nomination for the prestigious Saturn Award in the category of best young performance. The school for the deaf in Texas, which Kaylee attended, expressed deep sorrow over the news. They conveyed their condolences to her family, friends, and everyone who knew and loved her, asking the public to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time. The accident occurred early Wednesday morning in the town of Ijamsville, Maryland. Kaylee was one of two occupants in the car that veered off the road and collided with a guardrail. A 19-year-old driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, while the other passenger did not require medical attention. Police suspect excessive speed contributed to the crash, though they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Her parents, Joshua and Ketsi Hottle, shared the sad news on social media. Her mother expressed that it was an honor to be her mother, while her father wrote about embarking on a journey he never wanted to make. Kaylee used sign language as her primary means of communication, just as members of her family did. Her most recognizable role was playing Jie, an orphan girl who forms a special bond with Kong and communicates with him using sign language in the films Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Millie Bobby Brown, who co-starred with Kaylee, expressed that the news had deeply affected her and that they will miss Kaylee greatly. Alexander Skarsgård, who learned the basics of sign language due to his collaboration with Kaylee, praised her professionalism and ability to quickly understand and follow the director's instructions during the filming of the first movie. Kaylee had little knowledge of the genre before entering the world of giant monster films. Later, she mentioned that her father helped her understand the genre. Despite achieving worldwide fame at a very young age, she spoke about her parents and sisters being her main role models. In addition to the Godzilla films, Kaylee appeared in an episode of the series Magnum, P.I. and participated in the upcoming film What Doesn't Kill Us. Her co-star Alaqua Cox, also a deaf actress, wrote that she was stunned and felt empathy for Kaylee's family during this unimaginably difficult time. With Kaylee Hottle's death, the film industry lost one of its promising young faces, who showed deaf children that there is a place for them on the biggest movie screens.