LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Daveigh Chase, a former child actress who gained early fame as the voice of Lilo in Disney's 2002 animated hit film "Lilo & Stitch" and also portrayed the nightmarish Samara Morgan in the horror film "The Ring," died of AIDS, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office revealed Monday.
Chase, whose legal name is Daveigh Schwallier, died June 16 at age 35 due to AIDS with "chronic polysubstance use" listed as another significant condition possibly contributing to her natural death, according to the medical examiner.
Her boyfriend Roy Hernandez had told TMZ she had meningitis and a blood condition.
Hernandez had created a GoFundMe page prior to the young woman's death, saying her medical condition had dramatically worsened.
"Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections," Hernandez wrote on the page. "Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left. All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe and be happy. Now, more than ever, I want to give her that sense of home and peace in her final days."
He wrote on the page that despite her early success on screen, Chase "faced more than her share of hardship."
"After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA," Hernandez wrote. "When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved. Together, we found moments of happiness and hope."
Born in Las Vegas and raised in Oregon, Chase made guest appearances as a child in TV shows including "Charmed," "ER," and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." She also appeared in the film "Donnie Darko" in 2001, but gained fame as the voice of Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch." Her haunting performance in the horror film "The Ring" earned her an MTV Movie Award for best villain.
She also provided the voice of Chihiro Ogino in the English-language- dubbed version of the Japanese anime film "Spirited Away." Chase also starred in the HBO drama series "Big Love," opposite Bill Paxton.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
