Former Child Star Daveigh Chase Dies at 35 From Meningitis

In the final days of her life, Daveigh Chase wanted one simple thing: a safe place to call home. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, made that his mission, launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise $5,500 so she could feel some semblance of peace as her health deteriorated. By the time of her death on Tuesday, June 16, around $1,700 had been raised—a small but meaningful effort from people who cared.

Chase, who was 35, died after contracting meningitis and a blood infection that developed into sepsis. For those who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, her face was unforgettable: the haunting stare in The Ring, the troubled teen in Donnie Darko, the voice of Lilo in Lilo&Stitch. She earned an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003 for her role as Samara Morgan. But the actress’s life after Hollywood told a different story—one marked by struggle, family estrangement, and years spent navigating the harsh realities of downtown Los Angeles.

Hernandez’s campaign description painted a portrait of someone trying to rebuild after years of hardship.“After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA,”he wrote. When they met, he promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved. Their shared dream was modest but profound: a place where they could live together, feel safe, and be happy.

Chase had largely stepped away from the spotlight in 2013, her last red carpet appearance coming in April of that year. She later faced legal troubles, including a 2018 drug possession arrest in Hollywood. Yet in a 2009 interview with Interview Magazine, she articulated what she wanted her legacy to be:“I just want to make something that I love and people will respect. I want to do things that will change someone’s life, not something they’ll forget about tomorrow.”In her final days, it wasn’t a blockbuster role or industry accolades she sought—just the dignity of a home and the presence of someone who loved her.

The story of Daveigh Chase serves as a sobering reminder that child stardom doesn’t guarantee a safe landing. For every glittering premiere, there can be years of invisibility, instability, and pain. Her death underscores a broader pattern in Hollywood: talented young performers thrust into the spotlight, left to navigate adulthood with minimal support systems, often invisible to the same industry that once celebrated them.