Daveigh Chase’s – Former child actor Daveigh Chase, known for Lilo & Stitch and The Ring, died on June 16, 2026, at age 35. While her official cause of death hasn’t been disclosed, her boyfriend Roy Hernandez said she suffered meningitis and blood infections that led to septic
Daveigh Chase died on June 16, 2026, at the age of 35.
For many fans. the news lands like a sudden cut in a story they thought would keep going—Chase was the voice of Lilo in Disney’s 2002 Lilo & Stitch and a presence that stuck long after the credits for the iconic 2002 horror film The Ring. where she embodied Samara Morgan. She also earned an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the role.
An official cause of death has not been disclosed. But one of her loved ones shared what happened in her final stretch. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ on June 17, 2026, that Chase died from meningitis and blood infections. He said the infections led to septic issues and an ultimate shutdown of her body.
Hernandez also said the timeline of decline included a hospital stay in Los Angeles, California, earlier that month, when Chase was admitted due to malnutrition.
Before her death was confirmed, Hernandez created a GoFundMe. In the description of the fundraiser. he wrote that Chase’s condition became “critical. and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left.” He added: “All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together. feel safe. and be happy. Now, more than ever, I want to give her that sense of home and peace in her final days.”.
Chase’s screen résumé spanned far beyond those two breakout roles. Throughout her acting career, she starred in Big Love, Donnie Darko, Beethoven’s 5th, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, ER, and Mercy.
The public details that have emerged since her death place the focus on a sequence of serious health problems—meningitis. blood infections. and complications tied to sepsis—arriving after a hospital admission for malnutrition in Los Angeles earlier in June. With the official cause of death still not released. Hernandez’s account and the GoFundMe message offer the clearest window yet into the urgency surrounding her final days.
Daveigh Chase Lilo & Stitch The Ring Samara Morgan meningitis blood infections septic Roy Hernandez GoFundMe MTV Movie Award