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Former child actor Daveigh Chase, best known for her roles in “Lilo & Stitch” and “The Ring,” has died.
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She was 35.
Chase died Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital, her father, John Schwallier, confirmed. Schwallier said in a text message to NBC News that his daughter died of complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection. He added that she was suffering from severe malnutrition.
She was homeless and living in Los Angeles near the hospital where she died, Los Angeles General Medical Center, according to her father.
Chase starred in Disney’s hit movie “Lilo & Stitch” in 2002 as the voice of the film’s lead character, Lilo.
The film follows Lilo, a young Hawaiian girl who adopts what she thinks is a dog but is actually a genetically engineered alien named Stitch.
She also starred in the television series adaptation of the film, “Lilo & Stitch: The Series,” from 2003 to 2006.
Also in 2002, Chase starred in the hit horror film “The Ring,” playing the terrifying child ghost Samara, who would haunt viewers of a cursed VHS tape.
The next year, Chase won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for her work in the role.
She also starred in “The Ring Two” in 2005, reprising her role.
The New York Times reported that Chase was living with her boyfriend before her death, but her father was unclear what the extent of his daughter’s relationship was with the man.
“I don’t know how much of a boyfriend he was to her,” he said in a text message. “I seen a video of her in September. I don’t know why he wasn’t getting her medical help then.”
John Ryan Jr., who managed Chase for 15 years, said she was one of his “best friends for almost 20 years,” and that she was “the easiest celebrity” he ever worked with.
I’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.
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