Actress Melissa Gilbert urges caution for parents of child performers after Daveigh Chase's death
Melissa Gilbert posted a tribute to late actress Daveigh Chase, warning that over-involved parents can harm child performers and calling for responsible support.
Actress Melissa Gilbert posted an Instagram tribute to former co-star Daveigh Chase, who died at 35 following complications from meningitis, blood infections and AIDS. Gilbert described Chase as “bubbly, sweet and professional” and said she sensed a “push or need to perform …for her parents.”
Gilbert, 62, contrasted Chase’s situation with her own experience, noting that some child actors thrive when raised by “really solid, wise parenting,” while others suffer when parents “lose sight of what their true responsibility is.”
“Today, reading the circumstances of Daveigh’s death, I’m truly heartbroken,” she wrote. “I certainly understand substance addiction disorder, but this sweet girl’s death is so much more.”
She urged parents to ensure that any child’s involvement in entertainment is motivated by the child’s own desire and balanced with a “life outside of the industry that is thriving and full of friends and responsibilities and ‘normal’ things.” Gilbert concluded by asking stage parents to remember Chase’s story to prevent similar tragedies.
Chase’s boyfriend Roy Hernandez said she died on June 16 after developing septic complications and that chronic polysubstance use was a contributing factor. Prior to her death, Chase had been living near Los Angeles’ Skid Row and a GoFundMe campaign was launched to provide her comfort. Her mother, Cathy Chase, expressed devastation over the loss.