Daveigh Chase, the former US child actor best known for voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch and portraying Samara Morgan in the 2002 horror film The Ring, has died at age 35.
According to her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, Chase died on Tuesday from meningitis and a blood infection, which in turn led to sepsis, as reported by TMZ. He added that she had been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier this month due to malnutrition.
In a GoFundMe page set up before her death, Hernandez described Chase as having always “been a light in my life”, but noted that she had faced significant hardship. “Behind the scenes, she’s 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. 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.”
He continued: “Recently, everything changed. Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. 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.”
The GoFundMe page had raised $1,300 out of $5,500 as of Wednesday evening.
Chase, born on 24 July 1990 in Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared in several film and television projects in the early 2000s. In addition to The Ring and Lilo & Stitch, she voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. She also had roles in Donnie Darko and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
