The voice of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch, Daveigh Chase, died two days ago. Her longtime manager, John Ryan explained that he and Chase’s stepsister, Gaia Brown, had hired a private investigator about a year earlier to find her and try to get her help.
After stepping away from Hollywood, she decided to live quietly, away from fame. Her boyfriend said she went through serious family conflict and bullying issues while trying to find safety, happiness, and stability in downtown Los Angeles.
By late 2025, Ryan said he received a video alert showing an extremely thin and weak Chase on Skid Row. Later, the clip was taken down from social media. He managed to speak with Chase on the phone to arrange treatment soon after the video appeared, but she was gone by the time he reached.
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Daveigh Chase: Reason for death revealed in the video footage
Daveigh Chase died due to severe blood infection and meningitis. Yesterday, Ryan revealed to the BBC that she had been admitted to the hospital for malnutrition before her death.
Earlier, the manager and Chase’s stepsister had planned to place her in a rehab center in Costa Rica after first helping her recover in LA. The rehab was owned by a friend.
The recently released Instagram footage showed Daveigh Chase looking extremely thin, severely malnourished, and visibly struggling. Ryan mentioned that she had been battling serious addictions to heroin and fentanyl.
What did Daveigh Chase love to do?
Chase was a wonderful person who worked with the rescue teams to save abandoned cats. He noted that she often stayed in her LA home for long periods and turned down major studio films to focus on independent projects.
Even while living on the streets, Chase had millions of dollars in a SAG-AFTRA trust account from child-star merchandise and film residuals. She could not access the money because of her substance abuse.
The GoFundMe had collected about $1,400 of its $5,500 target. The organizers and her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, did not explain how the money would be used.
Hollywood career of Daveigh Chase
Ryan further explained that the former child star started acting at 4 and landed her first Hollywood role at 7, but she stopped working full-time in 2015. He further added that she preferred eating at Bob’s Big Boy and spent time with her cats. She loved acting but avoided coming to the limelight.
Chase rose to fame as Lilo in the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch and later gained recognition as Samara Morgan in The Ring. However, the last decade of her life was marked by addiction and homelessness.
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Edited by Aratrika Baidya