Daveigh Chase’s official cause of death has been confirmed.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office listed the primary cause as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Us Weekly reported Monday.
Also listed was chronic polysubstance use, which is the use of more than one drug in a short period of time, per Cleveland Clinic.
Chase died June 16 after she was diagnosed with meningitis and several “serious” blood infections that turned her body septic and caused it to shut down, according to her boyfriend Roy Hernandez. She was 35 years old.
According to TMZ, the actress was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier that month because of malnutrition.
In the days leading up to her death, Hernandez had created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the late actress “find comfort and peace.”
“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,” Hernandez shared in the campaign’s bio.
“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.”
At the time of the campaign’s creation, Chase’s condition had “become critical,” with doctors telling Hernandez “she may not have much time left.”
“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,” he added.
Chase became a household name in 2002 when she landed leading roles in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and the horror film “The Ring.”
The latter movie earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. Her additional credits include “HBO’s “Big Love” as Rhonda Volmer, “Donnie Darko,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Beethoven’s 5th,” “ER,” “Mercy” and more.
She eventually stepped away from the spotlight after her final onscreen appearance in 2016’s “American Romance.”
The post Daveigh Chase’s cause of death revealed appeared first on Page Six.
