Former child actor Daveigh Chase, best known for voicing Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, died in mid-June. Now, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has revealed the cause of death.
Daveigh Chase died on June 16. She battled meningitis as well as a blood infection that led to complications from sepsis. Eventually, her body shut down, and she died after a short stint at the hospital, her boyfriend Roy Hernandez told TMZ.
In a message shared before her passing, Hernandez described Chase as someone who had faced many hardships throughout her life but still brought light and love to those around her. He spoke about their hopes of creating a safe and peaceful home together
“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,” Hernandez wrote.
Born in Las Vegas on July 29, 1990, she rose to fame at a young age and quickly became a familiar name. In 2002, she voiced Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, a role that made her widely known.
That same year, she also appeared as the chilling Samara Morgan in the horror film The Ring. Her performance earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Daveigh Chase, star of ‘The Ring’ and voice of Lilo in ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ died of AIDS
Now, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has revealed that Daveigh Chase died of AIDS.
The case is still listed as “open,” but documents reviewed by investigators reportedly list AIDS as the cause of death. Investigators Trini Godoy and Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Martina Kennedy also noted “chronic polysubstance use” as a contributing factor.
No specific details were provided about which substances may have been involved.
Chase’s father, John Schwallier, told NBC News that she had died from complications linked to bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. He also said she had been homeless in Los Angeles and was suffering from severe malnutrition at the time.
Rest in peace.
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