Medical Examiner confirms Daveigh Chase died of AIDS at 35

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has confirmed that actress Daveigh Chase, best known for her roles in "The Ring" and "Lilo & Stitch," died from complications of AIDS. The official report, released on Monday, lists acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as the primary cause of death, with chronic polysubstance use as a significant contributing condition. Her manner of death was determined to be natural. Chase was 35.

Chase died in a Los Angeles hospital on June 16. In the weeks prior, her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, had publicly shared that she was critically ill with meningitis, a blood infection, and sepsis. He had created online fundraisers seeking support for her care, describing a desperate fight to get her off the streets and into a safe environment.

The medical determination provides closure after initial reports focused on her acute infections. It also confirms a long-term health struggle that occurred largely out of the public eye. Hernandez and Chase’s estranged father, John David Schwallier, separately indicated she had faced significant personal challenges, including homelessness and substance abuse that began in her early teens. Her father stated he had not spoken...