01What happened

The story, straight

Daveigh Chase, the actor who voiced Lilo in Disney's 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch and played Samara Morgan in The Ring, died Tuesday at age 35. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ she died from meningitis and a blood infection that caused septic complications after being hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier in June for malnutrition. Chase also voiced Chihiro in the American dub of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away and appeared in Donnie Darko. She won Best Villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards for her role in The Ring.

daveigh chase — the girl who voiced lilo in lilo & stitch and haunted an entire generation as samara in the ring — died tuesday at 35. her boyfriend roy hernandez told tmz it was meningitis and a blood infection that led to septic complications. she'd been hospitalized in LA earlier this month for malnutrition. she also voiced chihiro in the english dub of spirited away and was in donnie darko. won best villain at the 2003 mtv movie awards at, what, 12 years old.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Jun 17, 2026Origin
TMZ breaks the news of Chase's death, citing her boyfriend as the source.tmz breaks the news — boyfriend roy hernandez is the source
source
Jun 17, 2026
Variety publishes obituary confirming cause of death as meningitis and blood infection.variety confirms cause: meningitis and blood infection
source
Jun 17, 2026
Dexerto publishes detailed obituary noting prior hospitalization for malnutrition and additional film credits.dexerto adds detail — she was hospitalized earlier in june for malnutrition
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

VarietyObituary confirming Chase's death at 35, cause (meningitis/blood infection), and major credits (Lilo & Stitch, The Ring)
primaryrssreceipt
DexertoDetailed obituary with boyfriend's name (Roy Hernandez), malnutrition hospitalization, Spirited Away credit, and 2003 MTV Movie Award
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04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Daveigh Chase died Tuesday at age 35.
  • Cause of death was meningitis and a blood infection causing septic complications.
  • She voiced Lilo in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and played Samara Morgan in The Ring.
  • She voiced Chihiro in the American dub of Spirited Away.
  • She won Best Villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
  • She had been hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier in June 2026 for malnutrition.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

Chase was a defining child voice of the early 2000s — her Lilo became the emotional anchor of a Disney classic, while her Samara became one of horror cinema's most enduring images. Her death at 35, from a treatable infection complicated by malnutrition, underscores the vulnerability child actors face long after the spotlight fades.

she was literally the voice of a generation's disney childhood and the face of their horror nightmares simultaneously. dying at 35 from something that started with malnutrition is a gut punch. two iconic roles before she could even drive.