Daveigh Chase, Voice of Lilo in ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ Died of AIDS

Daveigh Chase, Voice of Lilo in ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ Died of AIDS

Daveigh Chase, the former child star who provided the voice for Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch and starred in the horror film The Ring, died on June 16 at age 35. According to Los Angeles County medical examiner records, the primary cause of death was acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The records also listed chronic polysubstance use — defined by the Cleveland Clinic as the use of more than one drug in a short period of time — as a significant condition.

Chase died in a Los Angeles hospital, and the medical examiner determined the manner of death to be natural. Earlier in June, TMZ reported that the actress had been admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles for malnutrition.

The official medical report contrasts with statements made by Chase's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez. He told TMZ that her death resulted from meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to sepsis. In a GoFundMe campaign launched shortly before her death, Hernandez stated that doctors had told him Chase's condition was critical and that she may not have had much time left.

Family and Struggles with Addiction

The actress's descent into addiction began years prior to her death. Her father, John Schwallier, told The New York Times that Chase had struggled with drug addiction since she was 13. He described her as having been homeless and destitute near the hospital where she eventually passed away.

Her mother, Cathy, told the Daily Mail that the addiction was triggered by a 2016 motorcycle accident, after which Chase was prescribed oxycodone and other painkillers. Cathy stated,

"She was seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people... I never kicked my daughter out. She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs. That was the beginning."

Cathy, mother of Daveigh Chase, via Daily Mail

Reports emerged that Chase had been living on Skid Row, a homeless community in Los Angeles. An Instagram video reportedly showed her unable to move and appearing very unwell inside a tent. Her friend Shaun Rosenthal told People that some sober friends tried to find and help her, but she had surrounded herself with the worst of the worst people.

A Career of Early Successes

Chase's entry into acting was accidental. While traveling from Albany, Oregon, to Los Angeles, her mother crashed her car. Because doctors told Cathy she could not drive for six months, the family remained in Los Angeles, where Chase began pursuing acting. By age eight, she appeared in shows such as Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

She achieved a major breakthrough at age 10 in the 2001 film Donnie Darko, playing the sister of the character played by Jake Gyllenhaal. In 2002, she reached widespread fame by voicing Lilo in Lilo & Stitch and playing the villain Samara in The Ring, a role that earned her an MTV Movie Award for best villain. She also voiced Chihiro in the English dub of Spirited Away and appeared in ER and the HBO series Big Love from 2006 to 2011.

However, her professional life took a sharp turn. Her former manager and friend, John Ryan Jr., told Entertainment Weekly that Chase effectively disappeared from public life in 2015 after failing to attend a scheduled meeting with Rob Reiner for a potential role.

Controversy Over Final Days

The legitimacy of Roy Hernandez's relationship with Chase was questioned by John Ryan Jr. Following the GoFundMe campaign. Ryan told TMZ that neither Chase's close friends nor her family knew who Hernandez was. He urged fans not to donate, claiming that Chase had a SAG trust account with sufficient funds to cover medical expenses.

Hernandez disputed these claims, telling TMZ it was 100 percent false that the campaign was not legitimate and stating he intended to use the funds for a memorial.

Chase's final onscreen appearance was in the 2016 movie American Romance. She had stepped away from the spotlight years prior, with her last red carpet appearance in 2013 and her final Instagram post in 2017.