Whatever happened to Daveigh Chase? Inside the private battles that followed 2000s fame

Daveigh Chase is gone, and it hurts. If you grew up on early-2000s movies and TV, you knew her face or her voice, probably both. She burned bright as a kid actor, stepped away in 2016, and never really came back. Now we have confirmation of her death and, yes, a few wrinkles in the timeline that need untangling.

The news, and the timeline that does not line up neatly

According to TMZ, Daveigh Chase died on June 17, 2025, at 35. The reported causes were meningitis and a blood infection. What is odd: tributes from entertainment news accounts started circulating on June 17, 2026, which makes the public conversation feel a year off. For now, the date tied to the cause of death comes from TMZ, and the social posts you may have seen are from June 2026. Not ideal, but that is the current paper trail.

Stepping away, and the trouble that followed

Chase effectively exited Hollywood in 2016. Her last feature was American Romance, released that same year, and she did not take any more acting jobs after that. What did make headlines post-2016 were a few bleak incidents: per TMZ, in 2017 she was questioned after dropping an injured man at a hospital and leaving; police said she was not a suspect in his death. She was arrested around then on an outstanding warrant, and later that year was arrested again for allegedly driving a stolen car. It is a tough, messy chapter, full stop.

What her boyfriend says about the years off-camera

After her death, her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, wrote about what those years were actually like in a GoFundMe post. It is raw and, honestly, clarifying:

"Behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship. After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA."

"When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved. Together, we found moments of happiness and hope."

The work that made her unforgettable

Even with the early exit, the resume is stacked. You probably met her as the creepy kid in your nightmares or the best friend in your headphones. Here is the quick hit list:

• Donnie Darko (2001): Played Samantha Darko, then returned to the role in the 2009 sequel S. Darko.
• Spirited Away (early 2000s English dub): Voiced Chihiro for Studio Ghibli’s Oscar winner.
• Lilo & Stitch (2002 and beyond): Voiced Lilo Pelekai, winning the Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting.
• The Ring (2002): As Samara, she won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and haunted an entire generation’s TV sets.
• Big Love (HBO ): Played Rhonda Volmer across 32 episodes until the show ended in 2011.
• Early TV stops: Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice, ER, and Touched by an Angel.
• Final film role: American Romance (2016), after which she stepped away.

What sticks

There is the career everyone saw, and there is a harder reality we mostly did not. Both are true. The work holds up: a breakout in Donnie Darko, a horror icon in The Ring, two generation-defining voice roles in Lilo & Stitch and Spirited Away, and a slippery, unforgettable turn on Big Love. The rest is complicated and, frankly, sad. But the performances are still there, and they still land.