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Published 15:32 21 Jul 2026 GMT
Kaylee Hottle, the young deaf actress best known for portraying Jia in two Godzilla blockbusters, has died after being involved in a serious car crash, it was confirmed by her father in a heartbreaking livestream.
The actor’s death was revealed by her father, Joshua Hottle, who shared an emotional 23-minute livestream on social media. The video was captioned: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take."
Her father, Joshua, who is also deaf, delivered the entire livestream in American Sign Language as he announced his daughter's passing and paid tribute to her life.
Speaking to TMZ, he explained that he was first informed Kaylee had been involved in a serious car accident before receiving another call a short time later telling him that her heart had stopped on the way to the hospital.
Hottle came from a multi-generational deaf family and began acting at just nine years old, landing a commercial for the live video messaging app Glide, which is widely used within the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
In addition to her film work, she also appeared in the reboot of Magnum P.I., playing a character named Joon in a fourth-season episode.
Hottle was best known for her role as Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong, where she played a young girl who communicates with Kong using sign language while living on Skull Island alongside Rebecca Hall's character, Dr. Ilene Andrews. She later returned to the role in 2024's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
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Published 14:24 21 Jul 2026 GMT
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A young deaf actress, best known for her starring roles in two Godzilla movies, has died after being involved in a serious car accident.
Kaylee Hottle, who played Jia in the blockbuster movies, was just 19 years old when she died.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, announced the tragic news today in a 23-minute-long live stream on social media, captioned: "I am taking a flight that I never would like to take."
He told TMZ that he learned Kaylee was involved in a serious car accident, and he was called shortly after to be told that her heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
The young actress comes from a multi-generational deaf family and began her career in a commercial for the live video messaging app Glide, which is used by many members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, when was just nine years old.
Hottle is also credited with an appearance in the Magnum P.I. reboot series, appearing in an episode in season four as a character named Joon.
In Godzilla vs. King Kong, Hottle played Jia, a teenager who communicates with Kong via sign language and lives on Skull Island with Rebecca Hall's character Dr. Ilene Andrews, and she reprised the role in 2024's Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.
Hottle's former school, the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, Texas, shared a heartfelt statement in the wake of her untimely death.
It said: "It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland.
"Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.
"At this time, we have very limited information and ask that everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee’s family and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
"We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community.
"Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, with additional support being provided for Kaylee’s classmates and friends.
"Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together."
Published 14:52 21 Jul 2026 GMT
Kaylee Hottle, the deaf actress who played Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequel Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, has died following a car accident in Maryland.
Her father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed the news to TMZ and in a 23-minute Facebook livestream delivered in American Sign Language.
He said he received a call about a serious car accident on Tuesday morning and was told shortly afterwards that his daughter's heart had stopped on the way to the hospital.
Joshua said he was flying from Texas to Maryland to claim her body.
Details of the accident remain limited.
Kaylee was involved in a car accident in Maryland on Tuesday morning, July 21.
Emergency services responded and she was transported towards a hospital, but her heart stopped en route.
No further details about the circumstances of the crash, including the location, whether other vehicles were involved, or whether anyone else was injured, have been released at the time of writing.
Maryland authorities have not yet issued a public statement.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Kaylee Hottle was an American actress born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007.
She came from an all-deaf family spanning four generations of deaf relatives on her father's side. She was fluent in American Sign Language from birth.
She got her start in front of the camera at nine years old, appearing in a public service announcement for the video messaging app Glide, which is widely used within the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
In 2017, she appeared in a commercial for Convo Relay, a video relay service.
In 2018, she featured in a short film called 10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message, produced by ASL Nook.
It was the Convo commercial that changed everything.
An assistant director from the 2017 film Kong: Skull Island saw it and passed Kaylee's name to casting director Sarah Halley Finn, who was looking for a deaf actress to play the character Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong.
Kaylee was cast when she just was 13 years old.
Kaylee played Jia, a young deaf orphan who is the last surviving member of the Iwi people from Skull Island.
Jia is the only character who can communicate with Kong, doing so through sign language.
She is raised by Dr Ilene Andrews, played by Rebecca Hall, and acts as the emotional heart of the film.
Godzilla vs. Kong was released in 2021 and grossed $470 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful films released during the pandemic era.
Kaylee's performance was widely praised, particularly for bringing a quiet emotional depth to a franchise built around spectacle.
Hall and co-star Alexander Skarsgård both learned American Sign Language so they could communicate with Kaylee on set when they were not filming.
Hall has spoken in multiple interviews about how the experience of working with Kaylee changed the way she approached the role.
Kaylee reprised the role of Jia in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, released in March 2024.
In the sequel, Jia's role is significantly expanded. She discovers a deeper connection to the Hollow Earth and plays a central role in the story's climax.
The film grossed $572.5 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from audiences, though critics were mixed. Kaylee was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for her work in the film.
At the world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on March 25, 2024, Kaylee walked the red carpet alongside Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dan Stevens.
Outside the Godzilla franchise, Kaylee appeared in the NBC reboot of Magnum P.I., playing a character named Joon in a season four episode.
According to IMDb, she had a film in pre-production at the time of her death titled What Doesn't Kill Us. No further details about the project have been released.
Joshua Hottle announced his daughter's death in a 23-minute Facebook livestream conducted entirely in American Sign Language. He was visibly distraught throughout.
He said he had received a call informing him Kaylee had been in a serious car accident.
A second call came shortly after, telling him that her heart had stopped while she was being taken to hospital.
He said he was flying from Texas to Maryland to be with her.
The livestream was shared widely across social media on Tuesday morning and was the first public confirmation of Kaylee's death, before TMZ published its report.
Tributes have begun pouring in from across the entertainment industry and the deaf community.
Kaylee was seen as a trailblazer for deaf representation in mainstream Hollywood, having landed a major franchise role at just 13 years old in a film that was seen by tens of millions of people worldwide.
Her casting in Godzilla vs. Kong was widely celebrated as a rare example of authentic deaf casting in a blockbuster, with a deaf actress playing a deaf character and using real ASL on screen.
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, the studios behind the Godzilla franchise, have not yet issued a public statement at the time of writing.
Kaylee Hottle had appeared in two of the highest-grossing monster movies ever made.
She had been nominated for a Saturn Award, had a film in pre-production, and came from a family where deafness was not a limitation but a culture, and she brought that to every role she played.
For millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing children who watched Godzilla vs. Kong, Jia was the first time they saw someone like them at the centre of a Hollywood blockbuster.
That representation came from Kaylee.
This is a developing story. VT will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
Jessica Jones star Eka Darville’s young son has tragically died aged 10 following a brief battle with brain cancer.
Eka, famous for his role in the Marvel hit series Jessica Jones alongside David Tennant, is mourning the loss of his young son, Mana.
The 10-year-old boy fought bravely against a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, known as glioneuronal brain cancer, but tragically succumbed to the disease, per News.com.au.
The devastating news was confirmed by Eka's mother, Malaika, in a video shared on the GoFundMe page that had been set up in her grandson's name. She expressed the family's deep sorrow and gratitude for the support they had received.
"I still wanted to come together in this prayer because he's still always gonna be with us, and he's still with us," Malaika said.
She continued: "You can imagine the amount of sadness and grief of Eka, Lila, and Lila's parents, his grandparents, myself, his little brothers. But at the same time, there's a lot of joy. There's a lot of peace. There's a lot of stillness in the house after such a long struggle for 463 days since the whole ordeal began. And now he's free. Now he's dancing in the light."
"We all see it, we feel it, and I know that many of you, like myself, loved Mana eternally," she added.
The tragic journey began when Mana collapsed on a beach in July 2022. Subsequently, he experienced devastating seizures, leading to his hospitalization in January of this year, where doctors diagnosed him with brain cancer.
Despite undergoing an operation to remove as much of the tumor as possible, Mana's family embarked on a mission to find a cure for the young boy outside of Australia.
They identified potential lifesaving treatments in the United States and set a fundraising goal of $600,000 to cover the expenses. Remarkably, the family managed to raise the funds in just a few months.
Last week, the family shared their hope and faith on Instagram, writing: "Mana is still breathing, so we have hope. We know miracles are possible because we see it every day with our little man. Thank you to everyone for sharing your daily #manamoment with us."
Sadly Mana passed away, and netizens offered their condolences, including Australian actress Teresa Palmer who penned: "Sending immense love your way, friends."
Our thoughts are with Mana's loved ones during this difficult time.
Published 16:03 11 Apr 2021 GMT
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has sent a sweet message to Ashley Cain after his daughter was given just weeks to live.
Cain shared the heartbreaking news that his eight-month-old daughter Azaylia was brought home from the hospital to pass away after doctors said that her cancer treatments were no longer working.
Giving the family some support, Dwayne filmed a video of support, beginning: "I want to tell you I'm so sorry about your beautiful daughter Azaylia. You tell that little lion that I said, 'let's go champ and to stay strong'.
"Brother I'm so sorry to hear this news but I don't have to tell you that your daughter's strength is what strengthens you.
"She's already had this incredible impact on the world already, stay strong brother, my heart breaks for you."
Dwayne, 48, said a friend had told him about Azaylia's heartbreaking prognosis and wanted to show the family that the world was behind their "little lion".
Thirty-year-old Ashley reposted the Rock's video of support with the caption: "Let's Go Champ @therock.
"I'm so proud of my little girl and so humbled by the impact she's had on so many people around the world. From one of my hero's to another… Let’s Go Champ! #AzayliaDiamondCain."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the costs of Azaylia's medical care, and at the time of writing, over £1.5 million has been raised.
Ashley and his partner Safiyya had been planning to use the money to give their little girl the best possible chance via specialist treatment in Singapore.
However, last week it was revealed that the eight-month-old's cancer was too aggressive to respond to treatment.
Ashley told his followers: "So last week we had the bone marrow test and the lumbar puncture and bloods taken to send to Singapore in the hope that they could create therapy to save Azaylia’s life.
"Then we had to have a CT scan on her head and the results came back the next day to say she's got two very big leukemia tumors on her brain.
"They also said that the chemotherapy that is usually given to treat leukemia in the spine or on the brain will not be available because she has too much pressure with these tumors."
An influencer has revealed their two-year-old daughter tragically died after she drowned in the swimming pool at the family's Georgia home.
According to the Daily Mail, Jamal Morton, known to millions online as J'Amore or Mr Jay, said his daughter Rose died on Sunday after wandering into the backyard of their home in Hoschton and entering the family's swimming pool by herself.
The content creator announced the heartbreaking news on Facebook, writing: "You were the best daughter a father could ever ask for. Losing a child is a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
"I lost my daughter. I hope heaven is real because i can’t imagine you being all alone by yourself. So god if you’re real please watch over my baby. Rest in Peace my sweet angel. Daddy loves you forever Rose," he added.
The coroner's office confirmed Rose's death to the outlet but said her exact cause of death has not yet been determined.
The 33-year-old father of six told his followers that he will be stepping away from social media as he grieves.
Although new videos have continued appearing on his accounts, Morton's management team said he is not the one posting them.
"We want to let everyone know that J’Amore’s social media accounts are currently being managed by his team. At this time, he is not online, posting content, responding to messages, or actively managing his pages," the team said. "Management is keeping his platforms running while he and his family take time to grieve the heartbreaking loss of their baby girl.
"This is an incredibly difficult time, and we ask for your understanding, prayers, and respect for their privacy as they navigate this unimaginable loss," they added.
Morton launched his TikTok account in 2022 and built a following by sharing comedy sketches inspired by family life. His children, including Rose, regularly appeared in his videos.
Following the heartbreaking news of Rose's death, one particular clip has resurfaced online.
Per Daily Mail, the clip was originally shared in April 2025 and captured the toddler taking some of her first steps as she carefully made her way toward her father near the edge of the family's unfenced swimming pool.
Morton is one of several social media personalities who have experienced the unimaginable loss of a child in a pool drowning.
Earlier this year, influencer Emilie Kiser opened up about the death of her three-year-old son, Trigg, who died six days after falling into the family's backyard pool in Arizona in May 2025.
Speaking on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, Kiser reflected on how quickly life can change.
"Losing a child really shows you in the scariest, most real way possible just how quickly life can change, and how quickly life can be literally taken away," she said.
She also described choosing every day to keep moving forward for her younger son.
"I always try to remind myself that I have a choice to make," she continued. "I can either let this completely derail me more than it already has, and not really feel like I'm fit or able to take care of my younger son, or I can do everything in my power to be the best mom I possibly can for him, and give him the same love that Trigg had and has."
Kiser is now using her platform to encourage parents to take extra precautions around pools.
"This is a topic that I will continue to talk about when I feel comfortable, because it is so extremely hard to talk about, and I hope that people can understand that," she said.
"Our son's death was very preventable. It was an accident, but it was a preventable accident. I will always take full accountability for that, because as a parent, it is your job to protect your child.
"Drowning is the number one cause of death in children three and under," Emilie added. "And that is an extremely hard statistic to swallow because I truly just can't believe how much it happens."
She urged parents to install pool fences, maintain working door alarms, and closely supervise children around water.
"I really hope that if you see this video, you please, please, please install a pool fence. Make sure you have door alarms. Make sure if you have door alarms, all of your batteries are updated. Please make sure that you watch your children around water," she added.
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