Daveigh Chase died on June 18, 2026, in a Los Angeles hospital from complications related to bacterial meningitis and sepsis at age 35 [1, 2, 3]. She had been admitted earlier this week with severe malnourishment alongside a serious bacterial infection [1, 3].
Chase gained prominence voicing Lilo in Disney's 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch and appeared as the haunting Samara in the horror film The Ring that same year [1, 2, 3]. She won the 2003 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for her role in The Ring [1, 2, 3]. She also earned a Young Artist or Annie Award for her voice acting as Lilo [1, 2].
In addition to those roles, Chase starred as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko (2001) and played Rhonda Volmer in 32 episodes of HBO's Big Love from 2006 to 2011 [1, 2]. She retired from acting full time in 2015 [1].
Her longtime manager John Ryan Jr. said Chase preferred privacy over Hollywood fame. "She was not very Hollywood. She'd rather eat at Bob's Big Boy and go home with the cats. She loved acting but wasn't into the fame scene," he said [1]. Chase lived in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles during her later years [1, 3].
There are conflicting reports about her living circumstances before her death. Her father John David Schwallier said she lived homeless in Los Angeles with her boyfriend near the hospital [2]. However, her manager and family dispute claims of the boyfriend and any need for external fundraising, stating "Daveigh’s estate has plenty of means to pay for the cremation," and that neither Ryan nor the family authorized a crowdfunding campaign for funeral costs [3].
Chase was born Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas [2]. She voiced Lilo for more than 60 episodes of Lilo & Stitch: The Series and contributed to projects that collectively grossed about $274 million at the box office [2, 3].
Chase was admitted to hospital on June 16 or 17 with malnourishment and a severe infection [1, 3]. She died two days later from complications of bacterial meningitis and sepsis at 35 [1, 2, 3].
