Godzilla vs. Kong child star Kaylee Hottle is laid to rest in Texas after tragic death in car crash at 18

Kaylee Hottle, the child star who made a splash in the Godzilla vs. Kong monster films, was laid to rest on Monday following her tragic death last month in a car crash.

The deaf star, who made her feature film debut in 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong as a young girl who can communicate with the eponymous ape, was remembered by family and friends in a service in Kyle, Texas.

The 18-year-old actress was killed on July 21 when a car drove off the road at high speeds and struck a culvert in rural Maryland.

It was later revealed that Hottle was a passenger in the car, along with another passenger and the driver, neither of whom her parents reportedly knew.

Photos of the ceremony included images of Hottle's white casket ahead of her burial.

Attendees gathered around the gold-trimmed casket for a final ceremony before she was lowered into the ground.

The customary black hearse that ferried Hottle to her final resting place was also pictured.

Before the burial, a memorial service was held to honor her at her high school, the Texas School for the Deaf.

The event featured a closed casket draped with a school banner and a beaming photo of the aspiring actress.

The auditorium appeared to be filled to capacity with mourners, who gathered in a crowd in the school's courtyard after the service.

Photos snapped of the memorial service program reveal that it featured a sweet photo of Hottle as she flashed a soft smile. 

'Forever a Ranger. Forever in our hearts,' it read on the front cover.

The program opened with a 'musical prelude' that appropriately featured an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. 

After opening remarks, Hottle's sister, Jasmine, delivered a speech in her honor. 

Hottle's father, Joshua, also shared a tribute in her honor, before a pastor delivered a blessing and some of her classmates joined in to honor her

The actress was laid to rest more than a week after new details about her tragic death were revealed.

According to TMZ, her father revealed that she had been visiting a female friend in Maryland at the time of her death, but the friend was not in the car involved in the fatal crash. 

It was subsequently revealed that neither the male driver nor the other male passenger – who was sitting in the backseat with Hottle – in the 1995 Honda Accord were known to her parents. 

In the wake of her death, law enforcement sources have said that excessive speed is believed to be a factor in her death.

The family is waiting for additional information once the autopsy is completed. 

The family has not yet set a date for memorial and funeral services. 

The investigation into Hottle's death has ruled out alcohol impairment as a potential cause for the car crash that killed the actress. 

After Hottle's cause of death was revealed to be from 'multiple blunt force injuries' – the Frederick County Sheriff's Office confirmed to The Daily Mail on Thursday the unnamed 19-year-old driver was not impaired by alcohol at the time of the crash.

The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while another passenger did not receive treatment at the scene.

Results from a drug test on the driver have not come back yet and it is currently unknown whether the teenage driver will face criminal charges. Hottle's manner of death has been classed as accidental.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for further comment.

Kaylee played a young girl who could communicate with King Kong using sign language in the 2021 film Godzilla vs Kong and its 2024 sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. 

Hottle's autopsy was completed on Wednesday morning. 

Photos of the wrecked car the teenager was traveling in show extensive damage to the vehicle. 

The front of the car has been almost totally crushed, with the hood crumpled up and the bumper nearly destroyed.

Grass and mud were twisted in the front wheels and the bumper.

Hottle's father broke the news with his Facebook followers in a livestream titled 'I am taking a flight that I never would like to take,' in which he described having to travel from Texas to claim his daughter's body, according to TMZ.

Joshua, who is also deaf, said via American Sign Language (ASL) that he received a phone call from officials telling him his daughter's heart had stopped on the way to the hospital not long after he learned about the accident. 

Kaylee's school, the Texas School for the Deaf, also announced her passing on their Facebook page. 

'It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that one of our TSD seniors, Kaylee Hottle, tragically passed away yesterday in a car accident in Frederick, Maryland.

'Our hearts are with Kaylee's family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time.

'At this time, we have very limited information and ask that everyone respect the privacy of Kaylee's family and refrain from sharing or speculating about the circumstances surrounding the accident.

'We recognize this loss will have a significant impact on our TSD community. Counseling and support services are available for students and staff who may need them, with additional support being provided for Kaylee's classmates and friends. 

'Please keep Kaylee's loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together.'

Kaylee is perhaps best known for her role of Jia, a young girl who was able to communicate with King Kong using sign language and had a 'special' connection with him. 

'Because Kong and my character had a special bond. We signed with each other,' she told The Daily Moth in 2021.

The script was translated into ASL with the help of Kaylee's parents and another individual, a process that presented some challenges on set. 

'I was fine with memorizing the script and signing my lines, but the tough part was signing out the "spoken" parts because we had to change it, and sometimes they’d tell us it was wrong but they didn’t understand that ASL changes almost everything,' she said.

'Because the interpreter said what I said. The producer and director would sometimes say “Don’t say that” and want me to follow the script, but the signs for that sentence would be different in ASL.

'There was one instance where there was a misunderstanding between us related to the ASL translation, which caused a delay, but they later understood.'

Kaylee also taught her castmates how to sign: 'Teaching the cast how to sign. They had never interacted with a deaf person before. 

'I had to explain how to sign and use facial expressions. That was the hard part, but when they picked up on it, it was fine. I didn’t really have challenges, they were very accommodating. Some of the workers learned how to sign.'

At the time, Kaylee's co-star Alexander Skarsgard sang her praises, calling her the star of the film. 

He even learned ASL in order to communicate with her when they weren't filming.

Kaylee 'steals the movie,' he told Junkee in 2021. 'It's her first movie,' he said. 'It's fascinating how comfortable she is in front of the camera and how quickly she takes notes from the director Adam [Wingard]. 

'He'll explain something and she'll be like "got it, got it," then she'll just do it and everyone's like "the f- … how did she?" She's so professional and just incredibly … there's so much going on on her face, her expression and the subtleties of that is fascinating to watch.'

According to her IMDb, Kaylee hails from an all-deaf family. 

In addition to her role in the Godzilla films, Kaylee appeared on an episode of Magnum PI and did commercials for products that helped deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

She did a public service announcement for the video chat messenger Glide and a commercial for Convo Relay. 

Kaylee was also featured in 10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message. 

Outside the spotlight, she was also an athlete as a member of her school's track and field team.