When Daveigh Chase entered an audition for a Disney animated movie about a Hawaiian girl and her extraterrestrial friend, she was eight years old. She was given the role. More than 20 years after the release of Lilo & Stitch, audiences can still hear the loving, obstinate, humorous, and really odd voice she gave Lilo. She portrayed the terrifying Samara in The Ring that same year, 2002. Twelve months apart, at ages eleven and twelve, two legendary genre performances. A year like that was rare for child actors.
On June 17, 2026, she passed away in Los Angeles. Her age was thirty-five. Meningitis and a blood infection were among the causes after hospitalization due to starvation. According to her former manager John Ryan, who spoke with The California Post, she had been living in Los Angeles without a place to live prior to her passing, and footage that surfaced on social media in late 2025 seemed to show her in a trailer on Skid Row. Ryan claimed that in an effort to locate her and set up treatment, he traveled to Skid Row. By the time he got there, she had already gone on.
Her story’s financial aspect is clear-cut and incredibly depressing. Her mother, Cathy Chase, filed probate filings in Los Angeles Superior Court, revealing an estate worth almost $400,000 in personal belongings. She had no will when she passed away. However, the probate figure does not reflect what was in an unclaimed state; rather, it simply reflects what could be found and recorded. Ryan claimed that SAG-AFTRA notices alerting him to Chase’s outstanding payments had been coming into his office for years. He referred to the sum as “millions.” The monies were available in a SAG trust account, but Chase was unable to access them due to her current condition.
That circumstance was brought about by the original Lilo & Stitch pay agreement’s structure. As a child, Chase had voiced Lilo without receiving the customary one-time payment. Rather, Ryan said that she had been offered a contract that guaranteed her a continuous portion of retail sales, residuals, theme park attractions, and other goods that included her voice.
The film, the sequel, the animated series, the merchandise, and now the 2025 live-action remake of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch franchise all drew inspiration from a character whose voice came from an eight-year-old Las Vegas girl who was cast. Because of this arrangement, the funds continued to grow even after the first project was completed. Additionally, it meant that active claiming was necessary, which is what didn’t occur.
Ryan detailed his attempts to get in touch with Chase and re-establish her connection to therapy, assistance, and the money that was waiting for her. He engaged a private investigator along with Chase’s step-sister. He decided to visit Skid Row after watching the video. Before she passed away, none of it led to contact. As next of kin, her family may now be able to claim the residual earnings through the SAG trust.
