Millie Bobby Brown has paid tribute to him Godzilla vs. Kong co-star Kaylee Hottle following the death of the young actress in a car accident at just 18 years old.
“I’m so devastated to hear this,” Brown wrote on social media, sharing a black and white photo of Hottle from the 2021 blockbuster. “You will be sorely missed, Kaylee.”
Hottle was killed in a fatal single-vehicle collision in Ijamsville, Maryland, in the early hours of July 21.
According to a news release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the car he was riding in went off the road and crashed into a culvert, and excessive speed is believed to be a contributing factor.
His father, Jonathan Hottle, shared the heartbreaking news on Facebook in a message in American Sign Language, captioning it: “I’m taking a flight I never would have liked to take.”
Hottle made her mark in Hollywood as the adopted daughter of Rebecca Hall’s scientist character in Godzilla vs. Kong and its follow-up in 2024 Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.
She also had a guest appearance on Magnum P.I. in 2021.
Throughout her work, she brought visibility to the deaf community, she herself was descended from four generations of people with hearing disabilities, and her dedication to that cause was celebrated by fellow deaf actress Marlee Matlin, who paid tribute to her on Instagram.
“I am absolutely devastated by the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle,” Matlin wrote alongside a photo of the two together. “May your beauty and talent be a memory for eternity.”
She was 18 years old.
