Daveigh Chase's Mom Speaks Out After Her Daughter's Death: 'I Am in So Much Pain'

Daveigh Chase's mom is breaking her silence on her daughter's tragic death.

According to the actress's boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, who spoke to TMZ, Chase died on Tuesday, June 16 at the age of 35 from meningitis and a blood infection which led to sepsis. She had also been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier in June due to malnutrition.

Daveigh's mother, Cathy Chase, opened up about her reaction to learning of her daughter's death in an interview with the Daily Mail published Friday, June 19.

"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," Cathy said. "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."

Cathy also told the outlet that she frequently worried about Daveigh's health in the years leading up to her death, alleging that her daughter struggled with substance abuse after suffering a back injury in a 2016 motorcycle accident.

"I would just put her name in the coroner's [search system] and see if her name came up and if somebody had her somewhere," Cathy said. "I would look at their list of unidentified bodies. It was very difficult, but you do everything you can as a mother."

The actress was also reportedly homeless before her death.

"She was seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people," Cathy added. "I never kicked my daughter out. She wanted freedom and these people got her hooked on some drugs. That was the beginning."

Cathy then claimed that she last saw Daveigh in October 2019.

"She was completely gone, like, out of her mind. I honestly thought there was something wrong with her," she added. "My daughter was never diagnosed with mental health other than PTSD, but the drugs took hold of her."

Ultimately, Cathy was able to see her daughter one last time in the hospital after her death.

"[The hospital chaplain and I] were able to lay hands and pray," Cathy said. "Technically, we were touching the glass, but it's as close as we could get, so we were able to lay hands and pray for her. It was a beautiful experience, and, and I feel very blessed, too, have been able to share that with my daughter."

Chase was best known for voicing Lilo in the Disney film Lilo & Stitch in 2002 and playing Samara in the horror filmThe Ring released later than same year.

Her other acting credits include voicing Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away, a recurring role in the HBO series Big Love, and appearances in Donnie Darko, Beethoven's 5th, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, ER, Mercy, and more.

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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 4:54 PM.