Blab Entertainment
Daveigh Chase, Voice of Lilo & Samara, Dies at 35 After Meningitis Complications
At 35, the actress who brought Disney’s Lilo to life and haunted audiences as Samara in The Ring has died. On June 16 2026, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed her death after she was hospitalized with severe malnutrition, a blood infection and meningitis that escalated to septic shock. The first report appeared on TMZ, and the medical examiner’s office later corroborated the details.
Chase’s career began in the early 2000s as a child actor. She appeared in Donnie Darko (2001) and its 2009 sequel S. Darko, and voiced Chihiro in the English dub of Spirited Away (2001). Her breakout year was 2002, when she voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch and portrayed the child‑villain Samara in The Ring. For the former she earned an Annie Award, and for the latter she received an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. Later roles included the HBO drama Big Love (2006‑2011) and several independent films.
In the years before her death, Chase faced legal and personal difficulties. In 2019 she was arrested on two counts of alleged burglary. Reports also placed her in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, where she struggled with drug use and malnutrition. She had been out of the public eye since 2015 and, by the time of her death, was receiving treatment for a severe bacterial infection that had spread into her bloodstream.
Cathy Chase, Daveigh’s mother, spoke to the Daily Mail about her loss. She described herself as “devastated” and said she felt “something inside of me was squeezing all of the air out of me.” Cathy recalled screaming in disbelief after learning of her daughter’s death on Tuesday, calling the experience “exploding outwardly.” She had not seen Daveigh since a jail visit in 2019 and had been checking online forums and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s database nightly for any sign. When she identified her daughter’s body at a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday, she said she prayed with a chaplain while touching a glass window that she felt was “as close as we could get.” The mother also noted that she had initially thought the reports were fake news.
A fundraiser set up by a man claiming to be Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, attracted attention after the actress’s death. Former manager John Ryan questioned the legitimacy of the GoFundMe campaign, noting that neither he nor any of Chase’s family members had heard of Hernandez. Ryan said he had tried to locate the actress before her hospitalization and that she was “too far gone” to benefit from the funds. He also mentioned that Chase had a trust account set up at SAG to cover her costs and that she had left behind millions in residuals.
Chase’s passing underscores persistent problems of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health within the entertainment industry. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office noted that meningitis combined with sepsis is a known cause of sudden death in individuals with compromised health. The case also highlights the difficulties former child stars face when transitioning to adult roles and the lack of long‑term support structures.
At present, the investigation into the circumstances of Chase’s death remains ongoing. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has not released a cause‑of‑death report beyond the preliminary findings of sepsis and meningitis. No further legal actions have been announced. The entertainment community continues to mourn the loss of a performer who left a lasting mark on early 2000s cinema.
Chase’s career began in the early 2000s as a child actor. She appeared in Donnie Darko (2001) and its 2009 sequel S. Darko, and voiced Chihiro in the English dub of Spirited Away (2001). Her breakout year was 2002, when she voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch and portrayed the child‑villain Samara in The Ring. For the former she earned an Annie Award, and for the latter she received an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. Later roles included the HBO drama Big Love (2006‑2011) and several independent films.
In the years before her death, Chase faced legal and personal difficulties. In 2019 she was arrested on two counts of alleged burglary. Reports also placed her in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, where she struggled with drug use and malnutrition. She had been out of the public eye since 2015 and, by the time of her death, was receiving treatment for a severe bacterial infection that had spread into her bloodstream.
Cathy Chase, Daveigh’s mother, spoke to the Daily Mail about her loss. She described herself as “devastated” and said she felt “something inside of me was squeezing all of the air out of me.” Cathy recalled screaming in disbelief after learning of her daughter’s death on Tuesday, calling the experience “exploding outwardly.” She had not seen Daveigh since a jail visit in 2019 and had been checking online forums and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s database nightly for any sign. When she identified her daughter’s body at a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday, she said she prayed with a chaplain while touching a glass window that she felt was “as close as we could get.” The mother also noted that she had initially thought the reports were fake news.
A fundraiser set up by a man claiming to be Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, attracted attention after the actress’s death. Former manager John Ryan questioned the legitimacy of the GoFundMe campaign, noting that neither he nor any of Chase’s family members had heard of Hernandez. Ryan said he had tried to locate the actress before her hospitalization and that she was “too far gone” to benefit from the funds. He also mentioned that Chase had a trust account set up at SAG to cover her costs and that she had left behind millions in residuals.
Chase’s passing underscores persistent problems of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health within the entertainment industry. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office noted that meningitis combined with sepsis is a known cause of sudden death in individuals with compromised health. The case also highlights the difficulties former child stars face when transitioning to adult roles and the lack of long‑term support structures.
At present, the investigation into the circumstances of Chase’s death remains ongoing. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has not released a cause‑of‑death report beyond the preliminary findings of sepsis and meningitis. No further legal actions have been announced. The entertainment community continues to mourn the loss of a performer who left a lasting mark on early 2000s cinema.
