Death Confirmed as AIDS-Related
Actor Daveigh Chase, best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and portraying Samara in the horror film “The Ring,” died of AIDS, according to a report from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. The agency listed “chronic polysubstance use” as a “significant condition” and classified the death as natural. Chase passed away in a Los Angeles hospital earlier this month at age 35.
Career Highlights and Awards
Chase rose to fame as a child actor, voicing Lilo in the Disney film and television series, as well as Chihiro in the English-language dub of Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning “Spirited Away.” Her role in “The Ring” earned her the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Villain in 2003. She also appeared in the HBO series “Big Love” and other productions.
Struggles with Addiction and Health
Chase had not appeared on screen in a decade, battling drug addiction and homelessness, her father John David Schwallier told the New York Times. Schwallier said she was also fighting bacterial meningitis and a blood infection at the time of her death. The medical examiner’s report did not specify the timeline of her AIDS diagnosis.
