"The Ring" actress Daveigh Chase passes away at only 35

US actress Daveigh Chase (1990-2026) has passed away at the age of only 35. Her partner Roy Hernandez confirmed the death to the entertainment portal "TMZ". According to reports, Chase succumbed on June 16 to the consequences of meningitis and a blood infection that developed into sepsis. This reportedly caused her body to gradually fail. An official cause of death has not yet been released.

Fundraising campaign for Daveigh Chase

Her partner created a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe shortly before her death to provide Chase with support, comfort, and peace in her final days. On the website, her partner describes what he says were difficult life circumstances for the actress: "Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life. Many know her as a talented child actress [...]. But behind the scenes, she has been through more than enough hardships."

"When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved. Together, we found moments of happiness and hope", the fundraising campaign continues. Chase especially wanted a place where they could both live together safely: "Now, more than ever, I want to give her that feeling of home and peace in her final days."

She became known as Lilo

Daveigh Chase achieved her breakthrough as the voice of Hawaiian title character Lilo in Disney's animated film "Lilo & Stitch". She won an Annie Award for her voice performance.

In the following years, she reprised the role in several sequels and series formats, including "Stitch! The Movie" (2003). She also voiced the main character Chihiro in the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning animated film "Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland".

Daveigh Chase also made a name for herself in the horror genre: In the US remake "The Ring", she portrayed Samara Morgan and won an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the role. Starting in 2006, she also appeared in a recurring role in the HBO series "Big Love". She had additional appearances in films including "Donnie Darko", "Sabrina - Total verhext", and "Beethoven auf Schatzsuche".