Voice of Lilo & Stitch, Daveigh Chase, Dies at 35

Daveigh Chase touched millions of childhoods through a character’s voice alone—the spirited, determined Lilo in Disney’s Lilo&Stitch. On Tuesday, June 16, the former child star lost her own battle to meningitis and sepsis at 35. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, confirmed the news to outlets on Wednesday, June 17, adding another name to the list of beloved performers we’ve lost far too young.

Chase’s career was bookended by iconic roles that defined early-2000s pop culture. Beyond voicing Lilo, she lent her voice to Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away and appeared on-screen in The Ring, Big Love, and Donnie Darko—a filmography that speaks to genuine range and cultural impact. But after 2016’s American Romance, she stepped away from the industry, leaving fans with little more than a 2017 Instagram post of herself with a unicorn balloon and the caption,“Unicorns DO exist 😻.”

What unfolded in the months before her death tells a harder story. In a GoFundMe post, Hernandez shared that Chase had faced significant hardship throughout her life—a difficult childhood, a painful estrangement from her family, and struggles navigating safety and stability in downtown Los Angeles. The meningitis diagnosis came suddenly, alongside serious blood infections that rapidly became critical. Hernandez’s plea was simple: help her feel safe, help her feel at home during her final days.

The outpouring from fans who grew up with her work has been genuine and heartfelt. Social media has flooded with condolences from people who remember her voice as part of their childhood soundtracks. Chase once told Interview magazine in 2009,“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.”For millions who saw themselves in Lilo’s fierce loyalty and independence, she did exactly that—and now her legacy, however brief, remains indelible.