Daveigh Chase, the child actress who became a household name voicing Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" and terrifying audiences as Samara in "The Ring," died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, with chronic drug use playing a contributing role, according to a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner report released Monday.
Chase—whose legal name was Daveigh Schwallier—was 35 years old when she died in Los Angeles on June 16.
The report, which has not been finalized but was preliminarily released to numerous outlets, listed AIDS as the official cause of death. According to the report, "chronic polysubstance use" was identified as a contributing factor, though it did not specify which substances were involved.
The case remains open. In a statement to NTD News, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said, "The Department of Medical Examiner has not concluded its investigation into Daveigh Schwallier's death," adding that "the medical examiner report will be made available to you once the investigation is completed."
The new findings stand in contrast to what Chase's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ shortly after her death. According to Hernandez, Chase died from complications related to meningitis and a blood infection that led to sepsis, which caused her body to shut down. He said she had been hospitalized earlier in June for malnutrition.
On a GoFundMe fundraising page he created to help cover her care, Hernandez described Chase's condition as critical. "Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections," he wrote. The fundraiser, which has raised more than $4,000 toward a $5,500 goal, also painted a portrait of personal hardship beyond her medical struggles. "After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA," Hernandez wrote. "All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe, and be happy."
Born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas and raised in Albany, Oregon, Chase began performing at a young age—singing and dancing at community events before transitioning into commercial and television work as a child.
Her career reached its peak in 2002, when she voiced Lilo in Disney's beloved animated film "Lilo & Stitch," later reprising the character in the television series and related projects. That same year, she also voiced Chihiro in the English-language release of the Academy Award-winning film "Spirited Away." Her portrayal of the haunting Samara Morgan in "The Ring" earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003, cementing her as one of the most recognizable faces in early-2000s horror.
Beyond her film work, Chase appeared in 32 episodes of HBO's "Big Love" as Rhonda Volmer, and had credits in "Donnie Darko," "ER," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and "Mercy," among others. She also pursued music, and was chosen by director Steven Spielberg to perform "God Bless America" in the film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence.”