Daveigh Chase Remembered
Actress Daveigh Chase, voice of Lilo and 'The Ring' star, dead at 35.
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Daveigh Chase, the actress who voiced Lilo in Disney's 2002 animated classic "Lilo & Stitch" and terrified audiences as Samara in "The Ring," died on June 16, 2026, at age 35 in a Los Angeles hospital. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, confirmed the news, saying she had been diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. Valley News Live reported her death alongside outlets across the country.
Hernandez launched a GoFundMe page on June 15 — just one day before her death — with a goal of $5,500 to cover urgent care and housing costs. He described Chase as a "light in my life" who had faced "more than her share of hardship." She was 35 years old.
Meningitis and Blood Infections Ended Her Life Quickly
Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital in early June 2026 suffering from severe malnutrition and significant weight loss, according to Extra TV. Her condition then deteriorated fast. Hernandez told TMZ she was diagnosed with meningitis — a dangerous brain and spinal cord infection — along with several serious blood infections. Doctors told him she might not survive.
Hernandez said Chase was "reluctant to go to the hospital" until it was too late, according to Parade. Sepsis — when an infection spreads into the blood and shuts down organs — was the ultimate cause of death. Health experts note that malnutrition can weaken the immune system, making infections like meningitis far more deadly.
From Disney's Lilo to Samara: A Career Built at Age 12
Chase rose to fame by the time she was 12. In 2002 alone, she voiced the lovable Hawaiian girl Lilo in "Lilo & Stitch" — which grossed $273.1 million worldwide — and played the nightmarish villain Samara in "The Ring," which earned $249.3 million globally, according to Digital Spy. She won the 2003 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, beating out Daniel Day-Lewis and Willem Dafoe.
She also won the 2003 Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting for "Lilo & Stitch." Chase appeared in the cult film "Donnie Darko" in 2001 and later starred as Rhonda Volmer on HBO's "Big Love" from 2006 to 2011. Her last credited film role came in 2016, after which she largely disappeared from Hollywood, according to TheWrap.
Legal Troubles and a Difficult Decade Away from Hollywood
Chase's life after Hollywood was marked by serious struggles. In February 2017, she was questioned by police after leaving a man who had overdosed outside an L.A. hospital, though she was cleared as a suspect. In 2018, she was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, according to Fox News.
Hernandez's GoFundMe painted a painful picture of her final years. He wrote that she had experienced a "painful falling out with her family" and was "bullied" while struggling to find safe housing in downtown Los Angeles, according to Daily Express. Her death has renewed debate about the lack of long-term support systems for child actors who leave the industry.
Fans Mourn a Talent That Spanned Horror and Animation
Tributes poured in online after her death was confirmed. Fans noted the remarkable range Chase showed at just 12 years old — voicing the warm, funny Lilo and the bone-chilling Samara in the same year. "Chase really did such wonderful work... her legacy will live in those films," one tribute read, as noted by Digital Spy.
Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch" remake is currently in production. Fans have called on the studio to include a tribute to Chase in the film. Formal statements from Disney or former co-stars had not yet been released as of June 17, 2026, according to Consequence.net.
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