Heartbreaking new details have emerged regarding actress Daveigh Chase‘s tragic death at 35.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner confirmed to Us on Tuesday, November 10, that the former child star “was found in the back seat of a vehicle with complaints of headache, weakness, confusion, right thumb pain and a meth pipe nearby.” She was immediately transported to the hospital by ambulance on June 4, just eight days before her death.
Once at the hospital, Chase was admitted with “advanced HIV/AIDS with wasting, cryptococcus without meningitis, MRSA and [a] right thumb infection,” according to the medical examiner’s investigation report obtained by Us.
The Mayo Clinic lists cryptococcus without meningitis as a fungal infection and MRSA as an infection caused by a staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many antibiotics.
The report also mentioned that toxicological screenings were performed and Chase tested positive for “methamphetamine and fentanyl.”
The Lilo & Stitch actress had a “history of advanced and untreated HIV/AIDS and drug use,” the report similarly noted, and that her health had declined until her June 16 death.
As Us exclusively reported, Chase died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with other significant conditions, including chronic polysubstance use while at the hospital. The manner of death was listed as natural.
Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, confirmed her death on June 17, telling TMZ that she died one day prior after battling meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to sepsis.
Shortly before Chase’s death, Hernandez launched a GoFundMe campaign in which he detailed her health issues.
“Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life. Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from Lilo & Stitch, Spirited Away and Donnie Darko, but behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship,” he wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown L.A. 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.”
According to Hernandez, Chase had been “recently” diagnosed with meningitis and battled “several serious blood infections.”
“Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left,” he continued. “All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe and be happy. Now, more than ever, I want to give her that sense of home and peace in her final days.”
Chase’s mom broke her silence days later.
“I was devastated. It felt like something inside of me squeezing all of the air out of me, and at the same time, It felt like I was exploding outwardly,” she told Daily Mail on June 19. “I let out this guttural scream and I just was running, and these weird sounds were coming out of me, like, primeval sounds. I went out into the backyard, and I was screaming, “No, no, no, no!” I am in so much pain but I hope her soul heard me.”
The mother-daughter pair were estranged and had not seen each other since 2019.
Chase was known for her roles as a child actress in films like 2001’s Donnie Darko, 2002’s Lilo & Stitch and 2002’s The Ring. She also starred on the HBO series Big Love from 2006 to 2011. She made her final onscreen appearance in the 2016 movie American Romance.
