Who Was Daveigh Chase? 5 Things to Know About ‘The Ring’ Actress Who Died at 35

Daveigh Chase stepped away from acting over the past few years, but most people recognize her as the voice of Disney’s 2002 Lilo & Stitch and its television series, in addition to the eerie Samara Morgan in The Ring. Unfortunately, Daveigh died at the age of 35 in June 2026 after suffering from multiple health issues.

Here, Hollywood Life has compiled five facts to know about Daveigh.

Daveigh was an actress

She is best known for her role as Rhonda Volmer in the HBO series Big Love. Daveigh actually voiced the character of Lilo Pelekai in the Disney hit franchise, Lilo & Stitch. She also starred in the 2002 popular film, The Ring, as the main character, Samara Morgan. (Yes, the scary girl that crawled out of the well) Her performance earned her the “Best Villain” award at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards. She even made guest appearances on Charmed, ER and more.

She was born Las Vegas, Nevada

Although Daveigh was born in Vegas, she was raised in Albany, Oregon, according to her IMDb page.

Daveigh had a boyfriend, whom she met in L.A.

According to a GoFundMe page created by Roy Hernandez, he and Daveigh met in Los Angeles, California, where they fell in love and stayed together until she died in June 2026.

“When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved,” Hernandez wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Together, we found moments of happiness and hope.”

She had many other talents

Daveigh was also a singer and a dancer, and started performing shows in her hometown at the age of 3. In 1999, she had the opportunity to be the lead singer with a band as an opening act for Reba McEntire, according to IMDb. Steven Spielberg also picked her to sing “God Bless America” in his 2001 film, A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

Daveigh died from meningitis and blood infections

Chase died from meningitis and blood infections, which led to septic issues and her body ultimately shutting down, her boyfriend told TMZ on June 17, 2026. The outlet also reported that Chase had been admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles earlier that month due to malnutrition.