Former child actor Daveigh Chase died of AIDS, medical examiner reports

Los Angeles County medical examiner records indicate that former child actress Daveigh Chase died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) along with other significant conditions, including chronic polysubstance use. The 35-year-old was hospitalized at the time of death, and the manner of death was classified as natural.

Chase passed away on June 16, 2024. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, had initially reported that she died from complications of meningitis and a bloodstream infection that caused septic issues.

Chase began acting at age seven, appearing in commercials and stage productions before moving to television roles on series such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice and ER. She gained wider recognition for playing Samantha Darko in the 2001 film Donnie Darko and for voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch franchise. Additional credits include the voice of Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of Spirited Away, a role as Samara Morgan in The Ring, and a recurring part on HBO’s Big Love. After a final film appearance in 2016, she largely stepped away from acting.