'Lilo & Stitch' Star Daveigh Chase Dead at 35 as Details About Her Life Away From Hollywood Surface — Photos

The voice behind one of Disney's most beloved characters spent years out of the public eye before tragedy struck. Now, as loved ones share painful details of her final chapter, a haunting picture of her life outside Hollywood is beginning to emerge.

Former child actress Daveigh Chase has died at the age of 35. According to TMZ, Daveigh's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, said she died Tuesday from meningitis and a blood infection that led to septic complications and caused her body to shut down.

She had reportedly been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier this month because of malnutrition. In a fundraiser created two days ago, he wrote, "Recently, everything changed. 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."

Daveigh became a household name in 2002 after voicing Lilo in Disney's hit animated film "Lilo & Stitch" and later reprised the role in "Stitch! The Movie" and the television series.

She also lent her voice to Chihiro Ogino in the English-language version of "Spirited Away" and terrified audiences as Samara Morgan in “The Ring,” earning the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.

Her career continued with roles in "Big Love," "Donnie Darko," "Beethoven's 5th," "ER," "Mercy," and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." However, after 2016, her acting work largely came to a halt.

The Instagram Photo and Tumblr Post Daveigh Never Updated Again

Even as public sightings became increasingly rare, traces of Daveigh's online presence remained frozen in time. One of her final Instagram uploads, dated November 20, 2017, appeared nearly nine years ago.

The black-and-white image showed Daveigh standing beside an oversized metallic unicorn balloon outside what appeared to be a party supply store. She wore ripped skinny jeans, a flowing dark blouse with bell sleeves, aviator sunglasses, and a necklace while posing casually along a roadside. In the caption, she wrote, "Unicorns DO exist 😻."

Her last known Tumblr activity dates back to 2017. The post, shared on her account daveighsays, was a reblogged still from the 2011 film "Violet & Daisy." The image featured a red folding chair with a handwritten note draped across it that read:

"If you touch you DIE."

Beneath the image appeared the caption "violet and daisy (2011)."

The Video That Sent Loved Ones Racing to Skid Row

As those old posts remained untouched online, people close to Daveigh were trying desperately to reach her. According to the New York Post, her longtime manager, John Ryan, and stepsister, Gaia Brown, hired a private investigator about a year ago in hopes of locating the actress and convincing her to accept treatment.

Ryan said he was alerted near the end of 2025 to a video circulating online that allegedly showed Daveigh in a shocking condition. The footage, which was later removed from social media, reportedly showed an extremely thin Daveigh, barely conscious and lying on the floor of what appeared to be a tent or trailer on Skid Row.

In a post showing her living conditions, someone on X wrote, "She looked sick." In another post, one person said, "Drug user??? She was scared and helpless... this isn't normal and it's very scary!" while another asked, "What did they do to her?"

Ryan said he managed to speak with her by phone after the video surfaced and immediately headed to Skid Row to bring her to treatment. But by the time he arrived, she had already vanished. Ryan told the outlet:

"We were so close to finding her. Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can't believe this is real. Her legacy and work will live on forever."

Ryan said they had planned to bring her to Los Angeles to regain her strength before transferring her to a rehabilitation facility in Costa Rica owned by a friend.

He was also reportedly developing a documentary about the search, titled "Finding Lilo," and added that major studios had already expressed interest.

The Fortune Daveigh Never Claimed Despite Years of Searching

Ryan later shared another heartbreaking revelation. According to a separate New York Post report, Daveigh allegedly had millions of dollars in unclaimed residuals tied to her "Lilo & Stitch" contract.

Ryan said Disney had agreed to give her a percentage of merchandise sales, theme park attractions, residuals, and products using her voice instead of paying her a one-time fee.

He continued receiving SAG-AFTRA notices for years, informing him that checks remained uncollected. According to Ryan, Daveigh was allegedly battling heroin and fentanyl addiction and had become "too far gone" to access the money despite repeated attempts to contact her.

The Childhood Dream Daveigh Once Thought She Could Handle

Long before people searched for her in Los Angeles, Daveigh seemed destined for a very different future. Born Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier in Las Vegas on July 24, 1990, she moved with her family to Oregon just weeks after her birth.

She was homeschooled and won the Little Miss Oregon beauty pageant at age six before appearing in a Campbell's Soup commercial and eventually landing the role that changed her life.

At the 2002 premiere of "Lilo & Stitch," an 11-year-old Daveigh was asked whether she could handle the expected fame. "Well, it is just my voice," she said at the time. "But some people who worked for Disney have recognized me already. I don't think people will really know who I am. I guess I'll have to deal with it!"

What Happened After Daveigh Quietly Stepped Away From Acting

Behind the scenes, however, her family life became increasingly complicated. Daveigh's father, John David Schwallier, said she had struggled with drugs since the age of 13. He also revealed that he had not spoken with his daughter since she was 19 and that she had experienced a painful falling-out with her mother around the same time.

John said Daveigh and Roy had been homeless and living in Los Angeles near the hospital where she ultimately died. "Him and her were destitute [sic]," he said.

In the years after stepping away from acting, Daveigh also faced several legal troubles. In November 2017, TMZ reported that she was arrested after police stopped a BMW in Hollywood that had been reported stolen. Although she was not driving, authorities booked her on suspicion of being in a vehicle without the owner's consent.

The following year, The Blast reported that she was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was also questioned in connection with a separate 2017 incident involving a man who died after being left outside a hospital. However, authorities never accused her of causing his death or filed charges against her in that case.

Roy's Message Revealed What Daveigh Wanted Most

As her health deteriorated, Roy launched a fundraiser asking for help. In a GoFundMe campaign, he wrote, "Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life."

He added, "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."

For many fans, Daveigh will forever remain the spirited voice behind Lilo and the unforgettable face of Samara. Yet the details emerging after her death reveal a much more complicated story — one marked by fame, estrangement, years of searching, and a rescue attempt that, heartbreakingly, came just too late.