“Lilo & Stitch” star Daveigh Chase was living a tortured existence months before her death as her friends and loved ones tried desperately to save her life, her manager told The California Post.
John Ryan, Chase’s manager of more than a decade, said he and Chase’s step-sister, Gaia Brown, had enlisted the help of a private investigator about a year ago to track her down and get her some help.
Ryan said at the end of 2025 he was alerted to a video which allegedly showed Chase shockingly skinny and struggling on Skid Row. The video, posted and later pulled from social media, showed a very thin Chase, barely conscious on the floor of a tent or trailer.
Ryan said he was able to get on the phone with Chase shortly after the video surfaced, but she had “disappeared” by the time he got down to Skid Row in order to rescue her for treatment.
Once found, Ryan and Chase’s step-sister planned to get the actress into a rehab facility in Costa Rica owned by a friend he knew after nursing her back to health in Los Angeles.
“We were so close to finding her,” he told The Post, “Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can’t believe this is real. Her legacy and work will live on forever.”
Ryan was also working on a documentary detailing the search for the Hollywood actress called “Finding Lilo,” he said, adding major studios were interested in the film.
To add insult to injury in Chase’s death, Ryan has called out what he believes to be an improper GoFundMe set up by her alleged boyfriend.
“Apparently, a man claiming to be her ‘boyfriend’ that none of us friends or her family has heard of has set up a GoFundMe on ‘her and her families behalf’ that he set her up as the organizer. I can confirm Daveigh has a trust account set up at SAG to cover all costs,” he told The Post.
The GoFundMe has raised about $1,400 of its $5,500 goal. The organizer, her boyfriend Roy Hernandez, did not specify where the money would go.
Chase garnered considerable fame for her role as Lilo in the 2002 animated movie and earned even more acclaim as “The Ring” villain Samara Morgan. However, the last decade of her life was marred by periods of addiction and homelessness.
Chase died June 17 from meningitis and an infection in her blood, TMZ reported. She was admitted to the hospital for severe malnourishment, the outlet added.
At the time of her death, Chase hadn’t appeared in a film or on television for about a decade. Her final starring roles were in the horror film “Jack Goes Home” and the thriller “American Romance” in 2016.
Hernandez eulogized his girlfriend in the GoFundMe.
“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.
“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.
“I understand we all go through things, but if you can help, I will be really grateful for anything. And if you can only give a prayer, I will take that too. Thank you for considering helping us during this difficult time.”
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