Who Was Daveigh Chase? Everything to Know About the Actress Following Her Untimely Death

Daveigh Chase was a rising actress before her life took a downward turn.

The Lilo & Stitch voice actress was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nev., to parents John David Schwallier and Cathy Annette (née Chase) Schwallier. A few weeks after Daveigh was born, her family moved to Albany, Ore., where she grew up and began homeschooling.

A bright child with a passion for singing and dancing, Daveigh's career took off after starring in a Campbell's Soup commercial at age 7. She then had minor roles in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Michael Landon, the Father I Knew, Charmed and The Practice, among others.

Daveigh played the role of the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie in 2001's Donnie Darko and in its 2009 sequel S. Darko. She also began her career as a voice actress at an early age, voicing Lilo in 2002's Lilo & Stitch and Chihiro Ogino in Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning animated classic, Spirited Away.

She then won the 2003 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for her role in the 2002 horror hit The Ring.

While starring in films, Daveigh secured leading roles in Oliver Beene, Big Love, Lilo & Stitch: The Series and Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures.

After appearing in Jack Goes Home and American Romance in 2016, Daveigh largely stepped away from the spotlight.

After Daveigh mostly retired from acting, she became embroiled in a series of legal issues and personal difficulties.

In 2017, TMZ reported she was charged with riding in a stolen BMW. She was then charged with possession of a controlled substance in 2018.

In an interview with Daily Mail, Cathy revealed her daughter's addiction struggles began after a 2016 motorcycle accident, when doctors prescribed her painkillers.

"She was seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people," she added. "I never kicked my daughter out. She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs. That was the beginning."

The matriarch said she "tried desperately" to help Daveigh but explained people "can't legally force someone who doesn't want that help." She added that the drugs left the former child star struggling with her mental health.

On the other hand, Daveigh's father believed she had struggled with drugs since she was 13. John David and Cathy said the last time they saw and spoke to their daughter was when she was 19.

At that point in Daveigh's life, her friend Shawn Rosenthal reportedly tried to get her the help she needed.

"She was an incredible singer, and we would play music together that, unfortunately, we never had a chance to record," he told People. "I wound up getting clean in 2023, which is why I haven't seen her since then."

Daveigh's pal continued, "Some of her sober friends and I were trying to find her and get her help, but to no avail. She was surrounding herself with the worst of the worst people. It's such a tragedy because no one cared for her best interests at all."

The New York Times reported Daveigh had been living with her boyfriend before her death.

In one of several GoFundMe pages set up to support Daveigh's medical expenses, her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, revealed she had "a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family." He revealed she was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections that led to her hospitalization.

"Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left," he wrote on the page. "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."

In a text message, John David said he did not know "how much of a boyfriend [Roy] was to [Daveigh]."

"I seen a video of her in September. I don't know why he wasn't getting her medical help then," the patriarch added.

In a June 17 report, a news outlet confirmed Daveigh died on June 16 from meningitis and an infection in her blood. She was 35.

Her health reportedly deteriorated after she was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles due to malnutrition.

John David confirmed his daughter's death in a text message to NBC News, revealing Daveigh was homeless and living near Los Angeles General Medical Center, where she later died.

Meanwhile, Cathy said she initially thought it was fake news, but "then all of a sudden, it's all of these different legitimate sites had her name and [Cathy] realized that it wasn't fake."

"I was devastated," she expressed. "It felt like something inside of me squeezing all of the air out of me, and at the same time, it felt like I was exploding outwardly."

She added to Daily Mail, "I let out this guttural scream and I just was running. And these weird sounds were coming out of me, these kind of, like, primeval sounds. And I went out into the backyard, and I was screaming, 'No, no, no, no!' I am in so much pain, but I hope her soul heard me."