Daveigh Chase, The Ring and Lilo & Stitch actor, dies at 35 from meningitis complications

Career-defining roles

Daveigh Chase began acting as a child, gaining notice in the 2001 cult film Donnie Darko as Samantha Darko. The following year she delivered the two performances that would define her legacy: voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, and playing the terrifying Samara Morgan in the horror remake The Ring. For Samara she won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003; her voice work on Lilo & Stitch earned an Annie Award the same year. She also voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

Illness and death

Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital in early June 2026 because of malnutrition, according to TMZ. On Tuesday, 16 June, she died from complications of meningitis and a blood infection that led to organ failure. Her boyfriend Roy Hernandez confirmed the news to TMZ and had launched a GoFundMe campaign shortly before her death to provide comfort in her final days.

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.

Television and later work

From 2006 to 2011 Chase played the complex Rhonda Volmer across 32 episodes of the HBO polygamy drama Big Love. She also appeared in guest roles on ER, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Oliver Beene. Her later filmography included the direct-to-video sequel Samantha Darko (2009) and the horror film Jack Goes Home, which marked her final screen credit.

Legal troubles

In the years after she stepped away from the industry, Chase faced several legal difficulties. She was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of drug possession, and earlier had been investigated in connection with a fatal car accident, though no charges were filed. These incidents were widely reported at the time.