Daveigh Chase, the child star best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and terrifying audiences as Samara in The Ring, died at 35 on June 16, 2026, after complications from bacterial meningitis and sepsis, her father confirmed to USA Today. Her mother, Cathy Chase, described her grief as physical pain in an emotional interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday.
Chase’s death has exposed a tragic final chapter for a performer whose career began at age 8 but ended in homelessness, addiction, and a desperate search for help that came too late. Her mother’s raw account of searching nightly for her daughter—even checking Los Angeles County’s unidentified bodies list—contrasts with the carefully curated GoFundMe launched by her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, now under scrutiny as a potential scam. Meanwhile, her manager, John Ryan, revealed Chase had millions in uncollected residuals from Lilo & Stitch and other projects, money that could have covered her final expenses.
How Chase’s Mother Described the Moment She Learned of Her Death
Cathy Chase’s interview with the Daily Mail paints a portrait of a mother consumed by grief and disbelief. When she learned of her daughter’s death on June 16, she recalled a primal scream, running outside, and pleading with the universe: “No, no, no, no!” She had spent years searching for Chase, who had been estranged from her family since 2019. “I would look at their list of unidentified bodies,” Cathy said. “It was very difficult, but you do everything you can as a mother.”
Her last contact with Chase came during a jail visit in 2019, after the actress faced burglary charges. Cathy described her daughter as “completely gone, like out of her mind,” though she insisted she had never kicked her out. “She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs,” Cathy said, blaming a motorcycle accident in 2016 as the turning point. “That was the beginning.”
Chase’s struggles with addiction began as early as age 13, her father, John Schwallier, told The New York Times. The estrangement between mother and daughter, he said, stemmed from a falling-out around 2004, when Chase was 19. “We hadn’t spoken since she was 19,” Schwallier said. “She was struggling with drugs since she was 13.”
The GoFundMe Controversy: A Boyfriend’s Fundraiser or a Scam?
Hernandez’s GoFundMe, launched before Chase’s death, claims to raise money for her “comfort and peace in her final days.” As of Saturday, it had raised $4,014 of a $5,500 goal. But Chase’s manager, John Ryan, called it a “fraud,” telling The New York Post that “a man claiming to be her ‘boyfriend’ that none of us friends or her family has heard of has set up a GoFundMe on ‘her and her families behalf.’” Ryan, who managed Chase for over a decade, confirmed she had a SAG trust account with “more than enough funds to cover all medical and related expenses.”
Hernandez, who told TMZ that Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier this month for malnutrition, accused Ryan of spreading “false information.” “It’s 100 percent false to suggest my GoFundMe is illegitimate,” Hernandez said. But Ryan’s claims align with those of Chase’s stepsister, Gaia Brown, who told Deadline that Hernandez “didn’t let any of the family know until she passed so he can control the dialogue.”
Ryan also revealed that Chase’s estate has “plenty of means” to pay for her cremation, undermining the fundraiser’s stated purpose. “Daveigh’s actual family is handling all arrangements,” he said, urging donors to report the page as fraudulent.
How Chase’s Career Collided With Her Struggles
Chase’s acting career began at age 8, when she landed the voice role of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch (2002), a part that made her a Disney icon. She also played Samara in The Ring (2002) and Chihiro in the English dub of Spirited Away (2001). But by her mid-20s, her life had spiraled. According to Ryan, Chase was “too far gone” to collect millions in residuals from Lilo & Stitch and other projects, money that typically goes to next of kin after death.
A video surfaced in late 2025 showing Chase in a haunting state: “shockingly skinny” and “barely conscious” in a trailer on Skid Row, as Ryan described it to The California Post. He and Brown hired a private investigator to find her and get her into rehab. “We were so close to finding her,” Ryan said. “Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can’t believe this is real.”
Ryan is now working on a documentary, Finding Lilo, about Chase’s life and disappearance. Major studios have expressed interest, he told USA Today, though no deal has been finalized. The film could shed light on the final years of a life that began with stardom but ended in obscurity.
What Happens Next: Legal, Financial, and Memorial Questions
With Chase’s death, several questions remain unanswered. Her father is next of kin, but the role of Hernandez—and the legitimacy of his GoFundMe—could become a legal issue. Ryan has already contacted GoFundMe to report the page, and Chase’s family is handling all funeral arrangements. The SAG trust account, Ryan said, will cover cremation costs, making the fundraiser redundant.
Financially, Chase’s estate may now be subject to probate, though her residuals could provide a cushion. Ryan’s documentary could also bring attention to her story, but it remains unclear whether it will focus on her career, her struggles, or both. For now, her legacy is defined by two contrasting images: the radiant Lilo of Disney’s classic, and the woman her mother described as “my sunshine”—lost to addiction and homelessness.
As for Hernandez, his claims about their relationship and the fundraiser’s purpose are under scrutiny. If his story doesn’t hold up, it could leave Chase’s family with yet another unresolved chapter in her tragic life.
A Timeline: From Stardom to Skid Row
- 2001–2002: Chase’s breakthrough roles in Donnie Darko, The Ring, and Lilo & Stitch cement her status as a child star.
- 2016: After a motorcycle accident, Chase begins struggling with addiction, her mother said.
- 2019: Last contact with her mother during a jail visit; she faces burglary charges.
- 2025: A video surfaces showing Chase in a trailer on Skid Row, barely conscious. Ryan and Brown attempt to locate her for rehab.
- June 16, 2026: Chase dies at 35 from meningitis and sepsis complications in a Los Angeles hospital.
- June 18, 2026: Hernandez launches a GoFundMe; Ryan and family dispute its legitimacy.
The timeline reveals a life that once shined brightly but ended in darkness. Chase’s story is now a cautionary tale—not just of fame’s fleeting nature, but of the systems that fail those who fall through its cracks.
For a child star who brought joy to millions, the final chapter is one of heartbreak—for her family, her fans, and the industry that once celebrated her.
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