Daveigh Chase’s Death Confirmed as AIDS with Polysubstance Use

Los Angeles County medical examiner records list acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) as the primary cause of death for former child actress Daveigh Chase, with chronic polysubstance use noted as a significant condition. The manner of death was ruled natural. Chase died in a Los Angeles hospital on June 16, 2026, at age 35.

The Independent

Chase began acting at age 7, appearing in series such as *Sabrina, the Teenage Witch* and *ER*. She rose to fame voicing Lilo in Disney’s *Lilo & Stitch* (2002) and as Samara in *The Ring* (2002). Her final screen credits were the 2016 films *Jack Goes Home* and *American Romance*. She withdrew from public appearances by 2013; her last Instagram post was in 2017.

Daveigh Chase Cause of Death Revealed

Primary cause: AIDS; contributing condition: chronic polysubstance use; manner: natural; date: June 16, 2026; age: 35.

The Independent

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office issued the report on June 29. Chase’s father, John David Schwallier, confirmed via text that his daughter died in a hospital, was homeless and had struggled with drug addiction since adolescence, and had not been in contact with the family for years, as reported to *The New York Times*. The medical examiner’s office offered no further comment.

People Magazine

Former manager John Ryan questioned the GoFundMe page launched by boyfriend Roy Hernandez, claiming the estate had sufficient funds and that the father had not authorized the campaign. He urged fans to withhold donations until the organizer’s identity could be verified. Hernandez denied the claims, saying the fundraiser was meant to cover memorial costs.

US Weekly

Hernandez said Chase’s decline involved meningitis, serious blood infections and sepsis, with doctors warning of limited time. He also noted her homelessness on Skid Row and chronic malnutrition. Friend Shawn Rosenthal, who knew her from 2018-2023, said she achieved sobriety in 2023 but later fell back into harmful environments, calling her final years “a tragedy because no one cared for her best interests at all.”

People Magazine

Initial reports based on Hernandez’s TMZ statements cited meningitis and sepsis as the cause of death. The coroner’s report later listed AIDS as the primary cause, creating a factual discrepancy. The GoFundMe campaign’s legitimacy also remains contested, with no resolution in the sources.

Page Six

• “Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life. Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from Lilo & Stitch, Spirited Away and Donnie Darko, but behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship,” — Roy Hernandez, Boyfriend

US Weekly

• “Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left.” — Roy Hernandez, Boyfriend

Child star Daveigh Chase died of AIDS at 35 — new details surrounding cause of death emerge

• “That GoFundMe is not going toward ANY expenses for Daveigh,” — John Ryan, Former Manager

People Magazine

• “ Hernandez told TMZ that it is “100 percent” false to suggest the GoFundMe is illegitimate.” — Roy Hernandez, Boyfriend

Deadline Hollywood