Actress Kayley Hottle Passes Away at 19

Kayley Hottle, who gained recognition for her portrayal of Gia in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong, died on Tuesday at just 19 years old.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, shared the tragic news, stating she was in a car accident in Maryland early that morning, as reported by TMZ.

In a nearly 23-minute video posted on social media, Joshua communicated the heartbreaking news in American Sign Language, mentioning that he had to fly from Texas to retrieve her body.

“I’m on a plane I never want to be on,” he expressed in the caption accompanying the video.

According to him, shortly after learning about her serious accident, he received a call from authorities informing him that her heart had stopped en route to the hospital.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Hottle came from a family with a rich history of deafness and was deaf herself. She is notable for portraying a teenager who uses American Sign Language to communicate with King Kong.

Hottle’s career began with commercials, and she appeared in an episode of Magnum PI. At the age of 9, she was featured in a public service announcement for Glide, a video messaging app widely used in the deaf community.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies and Fire Rescue were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at around 2:52 a.m. The preliminary investigation indicated that a 1995 Honda Accord, driven by a 19-year-old male, veered off the road and crashed into a culvert, with excessive speed believed to be a factor.

The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital, while a third passenger declined medical attention at the scene.