Daveigh Chase, Star of The Ring and Lilo & Stitch Dies at Age 35

Daveigh Chase, star of The Ring (2002) and the voice of Lilo in Disney’s animated classic Lilo &Stitch, has died at the age of 35. According to reports from those close to the actress, Chase died on Tuesday, June 16th, from “meningitis and an infection in her blood, which caused her to have septic issues and led to her body shutting down.”

Daveigh Chase was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 24, 1990. After her parents divorced, she moved to Albany, Oregon, where she spent her youth.

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Chase’s Hollywood story began in 1998, when Disney picked her to voice Lilo Pelekai in the Lilo & Stitch movie, as well as the TV series spinoff. Audiences finally got to see her face in 2002, when she went the complete opposite direction, terrifying moviegoers all over the world as the supernatural psychic girl, Samara, in Gore Verbinski’s remake of The Ring.

At the same time, sci-fi fans knew her as Samantha Darko, the little sister to Jake Gyllenhaal’s titular character in Donnie Darko (2001). She had a steady run of work, largely doing lead roles in franchise sequels like Beethoven’s 5th, The Ring Two, and S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale. She also had a major breakout role as conniving cult bride Rhonda Volmer in HBO’s hit series, Big Love.

Chase’s boyfriend had recently started a GoFundMe in which he revealed the many struggles the actress had been going through offscreen, including her rapidly declining health:

“Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life. Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘Spirited Away,’ and ‘Donnie Darko.’ But behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship… 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. 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.”

RIP to Daveigh Chase, and condolences to her friends, family, and many fans.