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Lilo & Stitch Star Daveigh Chase’s Haunting Final Post As Cause Of Death Finally Revealed
Daveigh Chase’s haunting final social media post has re-emerged, after her cause of death was finally revealed.
The actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney’s beloved Lilo & Stitch and terrifying audiences as Samara Morgan in The Ring, died at the age of 35 earlier this month.
The former child star enjoyed an impressive career that began in early childhood, earning acclaim for both family-friendly and horror roles before stepping away from Hollywood years before her death.
A childhood career that led to Hollywood success
Chase began acting at just four years old and landed her first professional role by the age of seven.
One of her earliest appearances came in the hit teen sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, starring Melissa Joan Hart, before she steadily built an impressive résumé.
She later appeared as Samantha Darko in the cult classic Donnie Darko in 2001, reprising the role in S. Darko eight years later.
Her breakthrough arrived when she was cast as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s hugely successful animated film Lilo & Stitch, a role she continued in several sequels and spin-off projects.
Award-winning performances on both sides of the screen
Chase’s performance as Lilo earned her an Annie Award, cementing her place among Disney’s most memorable young voice actors.
She also became instantly recognizable to horror fans after portraying Samara Morgan, the haunting girl who crawls out of a television screen in the American remake of The Ring.
Her chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2003.
Despite being only 10 years old when she took on the role, Chase later admitted she thoroughly enjoyed playing such an unusual character.
In 2002, she told the LA Times: “It is not your typical character. Usually they are looking for a happy-go-lucky kid, but Samara was a pretty interesting character to play. I just kind of took my own voice and put this freaky twist on it.”
Alongside her movie work, Chase also appeared in popular television series including Charmed, ER, and Touched By An Angel. She later had a recurring role as child bride Rhonda Volmer in HBO’s Big Love.
She chose a quieter life away from Hollywood
Although Chase found success at a young age, she eventually decided to step back from the entertainment industry.
Her manager, John Ryan Jr., said she officially retired from full-time acting around 2015, preferring a private life over the pressures of celebrity.
“She was the greatest. She loved cats. She worked with cat rescues with us. She was very to herself,” he said, explaining that she often chose independent productions instead of major studio films.
He added: “She was not very Hollywood. She’d rather eat at Bob’s Big Boy and go home with the cats. She loved acting but wasn’t into the fame scene.”
While she maintained a home in Los Angeles during her career, Chase regularly returned to Las Vegas, where she spent long stretches away from the spotlight.
In the years following her retirement, she experienced several legal troubles, including charges related to joyriding in a stolen vehicle and drug possession.
Her father, John David Schwallier, also told The New York Times that before her death, Chase had been homeless and living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend.
Medical examiner reveals her cause of death
In the days after Chase’s death, conflicting reports emerged about what had happened.
Her manager, John Ryan Jr., initially said she had died from sepsis after developing meningitis while receiving treatment at a Los Angeles hospital.
He said the actress had first been admitted earlier this month because she was suffering from malnutrition.
Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, shared a similar account with TMZ, claiming meningitis and a blood infection had caused septic complications that ultimately led to her body shutting down.
However, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has since confirmed that Chase’s official cause of death was AIDS, with chronic polysubstance use also listed as a contributing factor.
The report additionally noted other significant medical conditions and ruled her death to be from natural causes, according to the BBC.
Daveigh Chase’s haunting final post
Following the shocking news behind Chase’s cause of death, many fans have been trawling through social media to see if she posted any recent updates.
However, the actress’ chilling final post is actually dated back in 2017 on November 19.
She shared a black and white photo of herself holding a unicorn balloon on Instagram, alongside the caption: “Unicorns DO exist,” and a unicorn emoji.
Despite dating back nearly a decade, the post has now been inundated with comments from mourning fans.
“Rest peacefully in Paradise,” one wrote, while another added: “Please say it ain’t so!”
A third commented: “RIP beautiful girl, you deserved so much better, thank you for the nostalgia, your special words and voice, that molded these characters to be something so memorable in our lives.
“You left an imprint on all our hearts, God bless you, soar with the angels.”
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