Remembering Daveigh Chase: From Beloved Child Star to Tragic Loss at 35

Daveigh Chase’s sudden passing sends shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. We explore her remarkable career, the circumstances surrounding her death, and the broader implications of meningitis and sepsis.

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A Career That Captivated Generations

Daveigh Chase broke into Hollywood at a remarkably young age—debuting on television by age seven and landing roles in shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed by the late 1990s . Her breakout year came in 2001–2002: she voiced Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch (2002) and Chihiro in the English version of Spirited Away (2001), earning an Annie Award for her voice work . That same era saw her chilling turn as Samara Morgan in The Ring, cementing her place in horror history and earning MTV Movie Award recognition . Chase continued to evolve as an actress into her teens and early adulthood. From 2006 to 2011, she played Rhonda Volmer in HBO’s Big Love, a complex and manipulative teen raised in a polygamist community . Her later credits include a return to Samantha Darko in S. Darko and roles in indie thrillers like Jack Goes Home, with her last screen appearances dating to 2016 .

The Final Days: Illness, Hospitalization, and Loss

On June 16, 2026, Daveigh Chase passed away at age 35. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ that she had been battling meningitis, which progressed into a blood infection and ultimately sepsis . Reports indicate she had been hospitalized earlier in June in Los Angeles due to malnutrition, a factor that may have exacerbated her vulnerability to infection . Her longtime manager, John Ryan Jr., confirmed to BBC News that Chase died from sepsis following meningitis and reiterated her prior hospitalization for malnourishment . While the exact type of meningitis—viral or bacterial—has not been publicly disclosed, bacterial forms are typically associated with rapid progression to sepsis and organ failure if not treated immediately .