June 30 (THEWILL) — Daveigh Chase, the former child actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and playing Samara Morgan in “The Ring”, died from Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. She was 35.
The medical examiner also listed chronic polysubstance use as another significant condition and ruled her death as natural.
Chase died in a Los Angeles hospital on June 16. Earlier reports from her boyfriend said she had been treated for meningitis, sepsis and other serious infections before her death.
She rose to fame in the early 2000s with roles in “The Ring”, “Lilo & Stitch”, “Donnie Darko”, and the English-language version of “Spirited Away”. She also appeared in the HBO drama “Big Love”.
In her later years, Chase stepped away from acting and struggled with substance abuse.
Her father told U.S. media that she had been homeless before her death. He said her drug use began at age 13, long before she left Hollywood.
Her family and former manager, John Ryan Jr., added that she became estranged from her relatives and left public life around 2015 to 2016.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
