Daveigh Chase, Voice of Lilo in 'Lilo & Stitch', Passes Away at 35

Daveigh Chase, the actress best known for voicing Lilo in Disney's 'Lilo & Stitch', passed away in Los Angeles on the 18th at the age of 35, according to media reports. Her father, John David Schwallier, confirmed to The New York Times that the cause of death was complications resulting from bacterial meningitis and a blood infection.

Schwallier noted that his daughter had experienced a difficult period in her adult life, including struggles with substance abuse and homelessness. Despite these challenges, Chase maintained a significant career as a voice actor and performer. She rose to prominence at age 11 with the success of 'Lilo & Stitch', continuing to voice the character across various media for years.

Her career included notable roles such as the English dub voice for Chihiro in Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award-winning film 'Spirited Away'. In live-action cinema, she appeared as the younger sister in 'Donnie Darko' and gained widespread recognition for her chilling portrayal of Samara Morgan in the 2002 horror film 'The Ring', for which she won the Best Villain award at the 2003 MTV Movie & TV Awards.

Her partner, Roy Hernandez, had previously sought community support via a fundraising page, highlighting her personal hardships. As of the time of reporting, no further comments have been provided by her representation.