Former Child Star Daveigh Chase’s Father Breaks Silence After Medical Examiner Confirms Cause of Death

The father of former child actress Daveigh Chase has publicly reacted after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the official cause of her death. The actress, who became well known as a child through several memorable film and voice acting roles, died on June 16 at the age of 35.

According to the findings released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Chase died from complications related to AIDS. The report also listed chronic polysubstance use as a secondary contributing factor in her death.

Following the release of the medical examiner’s findings, Daveigh Chase’s father, John Schwallier, shared his thoughts in an interview with the New York Post. He said the official cause of death did not surprise him because of the lifestyle he believed his daughter had been living in recent years.

Schwallier said he had expected that her life could eventually lead to such an outcome, adding that while the news was heartbreaking, it was not unexpected from his perspective.

Daveigh Chase rose to fame at a very young age after beginning her acting career in 2001. She was only 10 years old when she appeared in the psychological thriller Donnie Darko, where she played the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. She later gained wider recognition for portraying Samara Morgan in The Ring and for providing the voice of Lilo in Disney’s animated film Lilo & Stitch. Her final acting credit came in the 2016 thriller American Romance.

After leaving Hollywood, Chase largely disappeared from public life. Reports indicate that during the last decade of her life, she experienced significant personal struggles, including periods of homelessness while living in downtown Los Angeles.

Shortly after her death, Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ that she had died after suffering from meningitis and a serious blood infection. He also said that she had recently been hospitalized because of severe malnutrition.

Schwallier also previously told The New York Times that he had not spoken with his daughter since she was 19 years old. He claimed that her struggles with drug use began when she was around 13 years old. According to his account, he reached Los Angeles General Medical Center shortly before her death and described both Chase and Hernandez as living in extreme financial hardship.

Daveigh Chase’s mother, Cathy Chase, also shared her emotional reaction after learning of her daughter’s death. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said the last time she saw Daveigh was in 2019.

Cathy explained that when she first saw reports of her daughter’s death online, she initially believed they were false. However, after seeing multiple reputable news organizations report the same information, she realized the news was real. She described feeling overwhelmed with grief and said the loss left her emotionally devastated.

Before Chase’s death, her former manager, John Ryan, had been working on a documentary called Finding Lilo, which focused on efforts to locate the former actress and help her rebuild her life.

Ryan said he became aware of a video in late 2025 that allegedly showed Chase in an extremely fragile physical condition while living on Los Angeles’ Skid Row. After seeing the footage, he managed to speak with her by phone and hoped to bring her to a rehabilitation facility in Costa Rica. However, by the time he arrived in the area, she was no longer there.

Reflecting on her passing, Ryan said those trying to help her believed they had come very close to reaching her. He remembered Chase as a kind and talented person whose work left a lasting impact on audiences around the world. He added that although her life ended tragically, her performances and contributions to film will continue to be remembered by fans.

Daveigh Chase’s death has renewed attention on the personal challenges that some former child actors face after leaving the spotlight. While she achieved remarkable success at an early age through several well-known film roles, the later years of her life were marked by hardship, addiction struggles, and isolation. Her family’s comments, together with the medical examiner’s official findings, provide a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding her passing while also highlighting the lasting legacy of an actress whose performances remain familiar to many viewers.

Sources:

• Los Angeles County Medical Examiner
• The New York Post
• The New York Times
• TMZ
• Daily Mail