Daveigh Chase who voiced Lilo and terrified audiences in The Ring dies at 35

Daveigh Chase. Pic via X

Actor Daveigh Chase, best known for voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch and playing the chilling Samara Morgan in The Ring, has died at the age of 35. According to TMZ, Chase passed away on Tuesday following complications related to meningitis and severe blood infections.

The news was confirmed by her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, who had recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her medical expenses. In the fundraiser, Hernandez revealed that the actor's condition had become critical after she was diagnosed with meningitis and multiple serious infections.

Daveigh's health battle

Only days before her passing, Hernandez shared an update on Chase's health, writing, "Daveigh was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left."

According to reports, Chase had also been hospitalised earlier in the month due to malnutrition before her condition worsened.

In an emotional note, Hernandez reflected on some of the challenges she had faced away from the spotlight, including personal struggles and difficulties finding stability in recent years. Despite those hardships, he said the couple had managed to find happiness together before her health suddenly deteriorated.

From Lilo to Samara

Born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase in Las Vegas in 1990, the actor began working in the entertainment industry at a young age, appearing in commercials and television shows including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice and ER.

Her breakthrough came in 2002 when she voiced Lilo in Disney's animated hit Lilo & Stitch. The beloved role introduced her to audiences around the world and led to appearances in multiple sequels and the animated television series that followed.

The same year, Chase delivered one of horror cinema's most memorable performances as Samara Morgan in The Ring. Despite being only 12 years old at the time, her portrayal of the eerie ghost became one of the defining images of early 2000s horror films.

Over the years, she also appeared in projects such as Donnie Darko, Spirited Away, Big Love and S. Darko. Her final film role came in 2016's Jack Goes Home, after which she largely stepped away from acting.

Chase leaves behind a legacy shaped by two unforgettable characters, one that warmed hearts and another that haunted nightmares for years.