Daveigh Chase, the actress and voice artist known for The Ring and Lilo & Stitch, died Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at age 35. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told USA TODAY and TMZ that she passed from meningitis and a blood infection.
Meningitis and Sepsis: The Circumstances of Chase’s Death
Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier in June for malnutrition, according to reports from TMZ. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to a diagnosis of meningitis—an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord—and several serious blood infections that caused sepsis, as detailed by US Magazine. Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues.
Shortly before her death, Roy Hernandez launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with her care. In the fundraiser, Hernandez described Chase’s condition as critical and noted that doctors warned him she might not have much time left.
“Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life.
Roy Hernandez, boyfriend of Daveigh Chase
Defining Roles from Samara to Lilo
Chase’s career was defined by a rare versatility, transitioning seamlessly between terrifying horror imagery and beloved animation. She first gained significant attention at age 10 in the 2001 psychological thriller Donnie Darko, where she played Samantha, the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character.
In 2002, she secured two era-defining roles. She voiced the titular misfit in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, a film praised for its focus on the Hawaiian concept of “Ohana,” or family. Simultaneously, she provided the English-language voice for Chihiro in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, a masterpiece produced by Studio Ghibli that would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
That same year, she became a horror icon as Samara in The Ring, the character known for crawling out of a television set. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the film was an American adaptation of the 1998 Japanese horror movie Ringu.
Her performance as Samara was a critical and popular success, earning her an MTV Movie Award for best villain. She beat out established actors including Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe, and Colin Farrell.
“I just wanted to say … everyone will suffer!”
Daveigh Chase, during her MTV Movie Award acceptance speech
A Career in Transition: From Big Love to American Romance
While her film work brought global fame, Chase remained a consistent presence on television throughout the early 2000s. She appeared in guest roles on ER, The Practice, Touched by an Angel, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Her most substantial television role came in the HBO series Big Love, where she played Rhonda Volmer, a teenage bride within a Mormon polygamist sect. The series explored the legal and social complexities of polygamy in the American West. Over nearly two decades, Chase amassed approximately 50 credits across film and television.
Her screen presence diminished significantly in the mid-2010s. Her final film appearance was in the 2016 thriller American Romance, starring alongside John Savage.
Private Hardships and a Withdrawal from the Spotlight
The trajectory of Chase’s life often mirrored the volatility of child stardom, a phenomenon where young actors struggle to navigate the transition to adult roles while managing public scrutiny. Her entry into acting was accidental; USA TODAY reports she began auditioning at age 8 after her mother’s car crash left the family stranded in Los Angeles for six months.
Despite her professional success, Hernandez revealed that Chase struggled with a painful fallout with her family and experienced bullying while trying to find safety in downtown Los Angeles. These personal battles coincided with her gradual exit from the entertainment industry.
Chase expressed a desire for meaningful work over fleeting fame in a 2009 interview with Interview Magazine.
Daveigh Chase, via Interview Magazine
By the late 2010s, Chase had almost entirely vanished from the public eye. Her final social media activity occurred on Instagram in 2017, where she posted a photo with a unicorn balloon and wrote, Unicorns DO exist 😻.
The news of her death has prompted a wave of condolences from fans who grew up with her voice and screen presence. Many have cited her role as Lilo as a cornerstone of their childhood, while others remembered the lasting impact of her performance in The Ring.
Find more reporting in our Entertainment section.
