Millie Bobby Brown has paid tribute to her Godzilla vs. King co-star Kaylee Hottle after the young actress died in a car accident aged just 18.
“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 deeply missed Kaylee.”
Hottle died 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 she was riding in left the road and hit a culvert, with excessive speed believed to be a contributing factor.
Her father Jonathan Hottle shared the heartbreaking news on Facebook in a message in American Sign Language, writing: “I’m taking a flight I never wanted to take.”
Hottle made her mark on Hollywood as the adopted daughter of Rebecca Hall’s scientist in Godzilla vs. King and its follow-up in 2024 Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.
She also had a guest appearance Magnum P.I in 2021.
Throughout her work, she brought visibility to the deaf community, herself descended from four generations of hearing-impaired people, and her dedication to that cause was celebrated by deaf actress Marlee Matlin, who paid tribute on Instagram.
“I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle,” Matlin wrote alongside a photo of the two together. “May her beauty and talent be a memory forever.”
She was 18 years old.
