Actor Daveigh Chase, voice of Lilo, died of AIDS complications at 35
Former child star Daveigh Chase, known for voicing Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" and appearing in "The Ring," died at age 35 from AIDS-related complications, with chronic polysubstance use also cited.
Daveigh Chase, the actress who provided the voice of Lilo in Disney's 2002 film "Lilo & Stitch," died on June 16 at a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 35. The medical examiner listed AIDS as the primary cause of death, with chronic polysubstance use noted as a contributing factor.
"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," her boyfriend wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Chase's father, John David Schwallier, confirmed to The New York Times that she succumbed to complications from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. He added that she had been homeless in Los Angeles with her boyfriend near the hospital where she died.
Beyond the original film, Chase continued to voice Lilo in the Disney Channel series that ran from 2003 to 2006, and she is also remembered for playing Samara Morgan in the horror movie "The Ring." Her earlier credits include roles in "Donnie Darko," as well as guest appearances on "ER," "Charmed" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."
Born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas and raised in Albany, Oregon, Chase began singing and dancing at age three. She reportedly struggled with drug use since her early teens, leading to estrangement from her parents, according to her father.