She Was Just 18: ABC Confirms Actress' Fatal Car Crash
Actress Kaylee Hottle, known for her starring role in two "Godzilla" movies, died Tuesday in a car accident in Maryland at the age of 18, according to police.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office confirmed to ABC News that Hottle was one of two passengers in a car involved in a fatal single-vehicle collision early Tuesday morning.
Hottle was the only person in the car who died. A 19-year-old man, who was not identified, was driving the car and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
Actress Kaylee Hottle attends the world premiere of "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on March 25, 2024.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Excessive speed is “believed to be a contributing factor in the collision,” police said.
Hottle was born into an all-deaf family that spans four generations on her father's side, according to her IMDb.
The actress was best known for her role as Jia in the 2021 movie "Godzilla vs. Kong" and the 2024 sequel, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."
In a March 2024 interview on "Good Morning America," Hottle described what her classmates thought of her "Godzilla" roles.
"They think it's super cool," she said. "They're seeing one of their friends on the big screen, and it's alongside Kong too."
Kaylee Hottle, as Jia, in a scene from "Godzilla vs. Kong."
Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures via AP
Hottle's father Joshua said in a Facebook video Tuesday that he was flying to Maryland after learning of his daughter's death.
"I am taking a flight that I never would like to take," he captioned the video, in which he used American Sign Language.
Hottle's school, Texas School for the Deaf, paid tribute to the 18-year-old on Tuesday.
The school said Hottle was enrolled there as a senior and described her death as a "tremendous loss" in a social media post.
"Our hearts are with Kaylee's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time," the school wrote, adding, "Please keep Kaylee's loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together."
ABC News has reached out to Hottle's representative and father for comment.
BREAKING: 'Defection To The Enemy!'—Beloved Morning Anchor Quietly Jumps Ship To Rival 'Today' Show In Shocking Network Betrayal! 👇 - Daily
A BELOVED Good Morning America host has quietly joined the rival Today Show as a new correspondent.
This morning, an announcement was made about the return of the host who stepped away from Good Morning America back in 2024.
A beloved Good Morning America host has quietly joined rival Today Show Credit: ABC
Dr Jen Ashton was on Today Show fir the second time in two weeks after leaving their competitor GMA back in 2024Credit: NBC
As Today host Sheinelle Jones began a health segment Wednesday morning, she introduced Dr. Jen Ashton, a former GMA host, to help answer her fans’ health questions.
This is the second time the doctor has appeared on Today in the last two weeks.
Sheinelle said they were there to help viewers get answers from Dr. Jen about various medical questions.
“Dr.
Jen Ashton put out the call to her hundreds of 1000s of social media followers.
“She’s board-certified in OB/GYN and obesity medicine, and host of the popular Dear Dr. Jen Podcast.
“And this morning, she’s sharing her professional opinion on some of what she heard,” Sheinelle said in her introduction to Dr. Jen.
The first question they read was about getting an osteoporosis diagnosis.
Dr. Jen then dives into the importance of a T-Score.
Dr Jen looked like she was at home during her appearance on Today Show WednesdayCredit: NBC
The doctor answered a number of fan questions about popular health topicsCredit: NBC
“That’s the number you’re going to track over time.
“It’s just how we diagnose osteoporosis.
“It starts at a T score of negative 2.5, and so that’s the number that every couple of years, when you get your bone density checked, they’re going to tell you what your T score is, and if they don’t tell you, you should ask for it,” she explained.
They then delve into “microdosing GLP-1’s,” and Dr. Jen said once you lose the weight you want, that’s when you want to tweak your doses.
“It might not just be a low dose; it might be spacing out the frequency.
“So when you get to your maintenance goal range, whatever that is for a different person, that’s when you really want to individualize your management protocol.”
Another fan asked if it’s okay to take it while pregnant, to which Dr. Jen said: “It should be discontinued two months before trying to get pregnant, and it’s not recommended in breastfeeding.”
At the end of the segment, Sheinelle commented on how wonderful and varied the questions were about health & wellness from Dr. Jen’s followers.
She said, “Thank you Dr. Jen!,” to which the doctor said, “I’m always on call for you!”
Sheinelle concluded the segment with “For more great tips, you can check out her podcast, It’s called Dear Dr. Jen, and you can find more of her favorite meals to boost women’s health on our website at Today.com.”
During last week’s segment, Laura Garrett mentioned that Dr. Jen was also featured over on Today.com as their expert with her tip of the day.
Dr. Jen stepped away from Good Morning America back in 2024 to start her own wellness brand, Ajenda.
She had been a staple on the morning show for 13 years before deciding to move on once her contract wrapped up.
She launched her new company to help tackle ongoing issues around menopause health and weight management.
