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Actress Kaylee Hottle, best known for portraying Jia in Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has died. She was 18.

According to TMZ, Kaylee's father, Joshua Hottle, confirmed that the young actress passed away after being involved in a serious car crash in Maryland on Tuesday morning, July 21. In a Facebook livestream using American Sign Language (ASL), Joshua shared that Kaylee died while being transported to the hospital. He also revealed that he traveled from Texas to Maryland to bring home his daughter's remains.

"I am taking a flight that I never would like to take," Joshua wrote in the caption to the video.

Tributes continue to pour in following the death of the actress, with her Godzilla co-stars Millie Bobby Brown and Rebecca Hall honoring the young actress on social media.

Millie, who played Madison Russell in Godzilla vs. Kong, posted an Instagram story paying tribute to Kaylee, featuring an image of her from the movie.

"I'm so devastated to hear this," she wrote. "You will be deeply missed Kaylee."

Rebecca shared an Instagram post with images of Kaylee on set.

"Devastated to hear this news," Rebecca wrote in the caption. "My heart goes out to your family. You will be missed Kaylee."

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A post shared by Rebecca Hall (@rebeccahall)

Kaylee, who was deaf, began her acting career in 2017 after appearing in a commercial for the ASL translation app Convo. She later rose to international recognition through the Godzilla film series, where she played Jia, the young girl who formed a special bond with Kong and communicated with the giant ape using sign language.

Her portrayal of Jia became one of the emotional highlights of the MonsterVerse films, making her a memorable part of the blockbuster franchise despite her young age.

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