LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Davey Chase, a former child actress who gained early fame as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s 2002 animated film “Lilo & Stitch” and who played the nightmarish Samara Morgan in the horror film “The Ring,” has died of AIDS, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said Monday.
Chase, whose legal name is Davey Schwalier, died June 16 at age 35 due to AIDS, and “chronic substance use” was listed as another serious medical condition that may have contributed to her natural death, according to the medical examiner.
Former child actress Davey Chase, best known for her youthful voice in the Disney film Lilo & Stitch, has died. She was 35.
Her boyfriend Roy Hernandez told TMZ that she has meningitis and a blood disorder.
Before the young woman’s death, Hernandez created a GoFundMe page, saying her health had rapidly deteriorated.
“Davey was diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections,” Hernandez wrote on his page. “Her condition became critical and doctors told me she might not have much time left. All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe and be happy. Now more than ever, I want to give her that sense of home and peace in her final days.”
On the page, he wrote that despite her early on-screen success, Chase “faced more challenges than her fair share.”
“After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Davey was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown Los Angeles,” Hernandez wrote. “When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserves. Together we found moments of happiness and hope.”
Chase was born in Las Vegas and raised in Oregon. As a child, he made guest appearances on TV shows including Charmed, ER and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She also appeared in the film Donnie Darko in 2001, but gained fame as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. Her memorable role in the horror film The Ring earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.
She also voiced Chihiro Ogino in the English version of the Japanese anime film Spirited Away. Chase also starred in the HBO drama series Big Love alongside Bill Paxton.
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