Daveigh Chase's Death
Los Angeles Medical Examiner Confirms 'Lilo & Stitch' Voice Actor Daveigh Chase Died from AIDS at 35
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Former child actor Daveigh Chase, the voice of Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" and the terrifying Samara Morgan in 2002's "The Ring," died on June 16 at age 35, AP News reports. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed on June 29 that the official cause of death was acquired immunodeficiency syndrome — AIDS — with chronic polysubstance use listed as a significant contributing condition.
Her father, John Schwallier, had initially told media that Chase died from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection, AP News reported. But medical experts note those infections are common in AIDS patients because the disease destroys the immune system's ability to fight back. Chase had struggled with drug addiction since age 13 and was homeless in Los Angeles in her final years.
From Disney Fame to Skid Row Homelessness
Chase rose to international fame as a child. She won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003 for her role in "The Ring." But by her mid-twenties, she had largely vanished from the public eye. Her mother, Cathy Chase, said a 2016 motorcycle accident was the turning point. Doctors prescribed oxycodone for her back injury, and her mother identified that prescription as the start of a decade-long opioid addiction, according to Wonderwall.
By late 2025, Chase was living in Skid Row, a roughly 50-block area of Los Angeles at the center of the city's homelessness crisis. Her former manager, John Ryan Jr., and her stepsister hired a private investigator to find her after spotting her in an online video looking severely malnourished, according to Deadline. In early June 2026, she was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital with severe malnutrition and multiple blood infections, TMZ reported.
AIDS Diagnosis Contradicts Family's Initial Statement
When Chase's death was first announced on June 17, her father and boyfriend Roy Hernandez told media she had died from bacterial meningitis and sepsis — a blood poisoning condition. The Medical Examiner's June 29 report told a different story. The official cause of death was AIDS, per AP News. Her father said in a text message: "I know with her lifestyle that was probably the conclusion so I'm not surprised."
Medical experts say there is no real contradiction between the two accounts. AIDS wipes out the immune system, making patients vulnerable to infections — like bacterial meningitis — that a healthy person would easily survive, according to CTV News. The meningitis likely killed her, but AIDS made that possible. The Medical Examiner's report also listed "chronic polysubstance use" as a significant contributing factor, TMZ confirmed.
Family Conflicts Emerge Over Remains and Crowdfunding
Chase's death has sparked disputes among those closest to her. Her boyfriend, Hernandez, launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $5,500 goal for her care and funeral costs, raising more than $4,000, according to NTD News. But former manager John Ryan Jr. publicly challenged the campaign, saying Chase's estate had enough funds to cover all arrangements and calling Hernandez her "so-called boyfriend," per FOX 11 Los Angeles.
A separate dispute involves Chase's ashes. Her father, who lives in the Philippines, is reportedly willing to go to court to get a portion of her cremated remains from her mother, according to Hindustan Times. Meanwhile, her mother told media she tried desperately to get Daveigh help, but said, "You can't legally force someone who doesn't want that help."
Chase's Death Renews Debate Over Protecting Child Stars
Chase's story has drawn comparisons to Bobby Driscoll, the original Disney Peter Pan voice actor who also died homeless and forgotten. Many fans who grew up watching "Lilo & Stitch" have expressed grief and anger online, calling for stronger protections for child performers. California's Coogan Act already shields child actors' earnings, but her death has renewed calls to expand it to include mandatory long-term mental health and addiction support after child performers reach adulthood.
Addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner called Chase's case a window into "what fentanyl addiction actually looks like at its most severe — not just overdose risk, but the way it intersects with immune system deterioration." Her manager's claim that her estate had "plenty of means" to cover costs suggests her struggle was not about money. It was about having no functional way to access help while deep in addiction.
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