Directors of 'Lilo & Stitch' Honor Late Voice Actress Daveigh Chase

Directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois shared a tribute on social media to Daveigh Chase, the voice of Lilo in the 2002 animated film "Lilo & Stitch," after her death at age 35. The posted image shows Stitch holding a sandwich beside the characters Scrump and Pudge, referencing the original movie’s theme of coping with loss.

Chase, also known for her role as Samara in "The Ring" and as the voice of Chihiro in the English version of "Spirited Away," died on Wednesday following complications from meningitis that led to sepsis.

Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, created a GoFundMe page that he said was intended to cover burial costs. However, Chase’s former manager, John Ryan, told Deadline that the actress’s estate has sufficient resources and that no family member signed paperwork authorizing the fundraiser. Ryan said the family is asking the public not to donate to the page, alleging that Hernandez used the situation for personal gain and that there are no outstanding medical or funeral expenses.

"Daveigh's estate has plenty of means to pay for the cremation," Ryan said. "Myself, her father, her uncle and all of us close friends who knew her for decades are encouraging people not to donate to this page." "There are no medical bills to be paid or funeral expenses."

The directors’ tribute and the family’s statements highlight both the actress’s career achievements and the dispute surrounding the fundraising effort.