Daveigh Chase’s official cause of death has been revealed via a report by USA Today.
The former child actress died from AIDS, according to Los Angeles medical examiner online records viewed by USA Today. With an underlying cause of substance abuse.
Known for roles in Lilo and Stitch (and subsequent spin-offs: Stitch: the movie, Lilo and Stitch: The Series and Leroy and Stitch), The Ring, the English language dub of Spirited Away, and as Jake Gylenhaal’s younger sister in Donny Darko, Chase passed away on Wednesday, June 17.
Initial reports had her cause of death listed as sepsis caused by complications of meningitis due to comments by Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, to TMZ.
Hernandez also launched a GoFundMe to be used to give Chase “peace in her final days.”
Individuals close to Chase’s family have since spoken out against the page.
Chase’s former manager, John Ryan, a friend of the family, told people in a statement to Deadline not to contribute to the fundraising effort.
“Daveigh’s estate has plenty of means to pay for the cremation,” Ryan says.
Chase’s former manager says he has been in touch with Chase’s family, including her father, John Schwallier. “John is next of kin and never signed any paperwork over to this so-called boyfriend,” Ryan says.
“That GoFundMe is not going toward ANY expenses for Daveigh,” Ryan says. “Myself, her father, her uncle and all of us close friends who knew her for decades are encouraging people not to donate to this page. This man making these claims brought her into the hospital in terrible condition and didn’t let any of the family know until she passed so he can control the dialogue. Daveigh’s actual family is handling all arrangements; we have contacted go fund me to let them know this man started this page on his own under Daveigh’s name when she was already unresponsive and urging people to report the page and not donate.”
Chase died in a hospital in Los Angeles, and her manner of death was natural, the medical examiner records also showed. The news was first reported by Us Weekly.
TMZ also previously reported that the actress had been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital for malnutrition earlier in the month.
The former child star’s father, John Schwallier, told The New York Times his daughter struggled with drug addiction since she was 13 and that she had been unhoused and in destitute condition near the Los Angeles hospital where she died.
Chase’s mother also spoke out in an interview with the Daily Mail, sharing that her daughter was prescribed Oxycodone and other painkillers after a motorcycle accident in 2016, leading to substance abuse issues.
Unfortunately, an all-too-common gateway to addiction in this day and age.
“She was seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people,” Chase’s mother told the outlet. “I never kicked my daughter out. She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs. That was the beginning.”
Oxycodone—commonly referred to as Oxy—as well as other frequently prescribed opioids are the leading cause of death in the world killing 3 times as many people as cocaine. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that at least one type of opioid is a factor in 76% of all OD deaths.
Furthermore, sharing needles—Oxycodone is administered by injection— transmits HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) because the equipment can retain someone else’s infected blood. When you inject, the needle goes directly into your bloodstream, making this the second most common route for HIV transmission per WebMD.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Photo courtesy of social media
