Daveigh Chase

Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier was born on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Cathy Chase and John David Schwallier.^[6][7][2] She grew up with a younger half-brother named Cade, alongside several other half-siblings from her parents' subsequent marriages.^[7] Her parents divorced during her early childhood, with Chase later using her mother's maiden name professionally.^[7][8]

She subsequently relocated with her mother to Albany, Oregon, where she performed in local talent shows and pageants.^[7][8] Her early vocal performances were heavily centered on country music, leading her to win a national vocal competition during her childhood.^[7] During a stay in Los Angeles, Chase began attending casting calls and booking minor roles, including national television advertising spots for the Campbell's Soup Company at age seven.^[8][9]

Chase appeared in a regional theatrical production of the musical Utah! at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in 1998, sharing the role of Norma Sanderson.^[10] She credited this stage experience with refining her live singing ability and performance presence.^[11]

Following her final film roles in 2016, Chase withdrew entirely from public view, prompting speculation that she had retired from the entertainment industry.^[27] According to Chase's former manager John Ryan, Chase had a scheduled meeting with director Rob Reiner for a film project in November 2015, but failed to appear at the venue.^[1] Ryan cited this as the start of her "disappearance", with Chase having had no contact with any of her family and friends after the failed meeting.^[1]

In her final decade, Chase encountered severe personal difficulties, during which she experienced periods of addiction and homelessness, including living on the streets of Skid Row and downtown Los Angeles.^[15][28] According to her mother, Chase suffered from drug addiction since about 2016, when she was prescribed painkillers after a motorcycle accident left her back injured.^[29] However, her father claimed that Chase suffered from drug addiction since the age of 13 (around 2003 or 2004).^[2]

In November 2017, Chase was arrested in Los Angeles on a felony charge after being found riding as a passenger in a vehicle that had been reported stolen.^[30][27] Eight months earlier in February 2017, Chase was detained by LAPD detectives and questioned after she was seen leaving an unresponsive man at a local hospital, who was subsequently pronounced dead of a suspected drug overdose.^[31]

In August 2018, Chase was arrested by the LAPD on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession and spent a short time in a Hollywood jail before being released on a $1,000 bond.^[32] By November 2018, she was charged with two misdemeanor counts stemming from these incidents: possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.^[27][33] Chase's mother stated that she last saw her daughter when visiting her in jail in October 2019, and that they had lost contact entirely after Chase failed to meet her as planned upon her release.^[29]

Due to Chase's decade-long reclusion and difficulties among friends and family to contact her, her former manager John Ryan began producing a documentary about his search for Chase to be titled Finding Lilo, which was in progress by the time of Chase's death.^[1]

In June 2026, Chase was admitted to the Los Angeles General Medical Center for treatment of severe malnutrition following a period of extreme weight loss.^[34][35] During her hospitalization, her condition became increasingly critical after she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, several bloodstream infections, and AIDS. Doctors stated that she did not have much time left to live.^[36][37][38]

To help manage rising medical expenses and support Chase in regaining stability, her alleged boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, created a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign.^[39] In the campaign description, Hernandez said that Chase had faced significant personal difficulties in her post-acting life, including systemic bullying, a painful estrangement from her family, and ongoing housing instability in downtown Los Angeles.^[34][35]

Chase died hours after the fundraising page was launched on June 16, from organ failure caused by her infections, substance abuse and AIDS; she was 35.^[39][40] A secondary cause of death was chronic polysubstance use.^[41] Hernandez publicly announced her death through TMZ the following day, June 17, stating that her bloodstream infections had led to septic complications that caused her body to shut down.^[36][40]

Following her death, a dispute emerged regarding her final arrangements and the crowdfunding campaign, which Hernandez claimed was intended to help fund her cremation.^[42] Chase's former manager, John Ryan, and her father, John Schwallier, publicly denounced the fundraiser, advising fans not to donate.^[43] Ryan stated that Chase's family was independently handling all funeral and cremation arrangements.^[44]

Chase left behind $400,000 in personal property.^[45]

Fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry paid tribute after Chase's death was announced.^[35][37][40] Co-workers, fans, and publications similarly paid tribute by commemorating her roles such as the voice of Lilo Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch, the English dub voice of Chihiro Ogino in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko and its sequel, S. Darko, and Rhonda Volmer on the HBO television series Big Love.^[37][40] Lilo & Stitch co-directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois paid tribute to Chase with artwork featuring Stitch, Scrump, and Pudge.^[46]