A former child actress who once terrified audiences worldwide has died homeless and battling addiction, with a prominent Los Angeles political figure now demanding answers about how the system failed her.
Daveigh Chase, who captivated audiences at just 12 years old with her role as the vengeful ghost Samara Morgan in 2002’s horror classic “The Ring,” passed away at age 35. Medical officials have now revealed the devastating circumstances surrounding her final months.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined that Chase succumbed to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the advanced and final stage of HIV infection.
Investigators additionally flagged chronic polysubstance abuse as a major contributing factor in her death, though her manner of death was officially classified as natural causes.
Long before the official ruling, warning signs had been mounting. Chase’s partner, Roy Hernandez, confirmed her passing earlier this month, describing a brutal medical ordeal that included meningitis, a dangerous blood infection, and sepsis.
Records confirm Chase entered a Los Angeles hospital in early June, marking the beginning of a health crisis her partner could not fund alone.
Hernandez turned to crowdfunding, launching several GoFundMe pages in hopes of covering her mounting medical expenses in her final weeks.
News of her death reached the public eye once again this week after former mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt weighed in with a pointed message on social media platform X.
Pratt, 42, referenced a report detailing Chase’s time living on Skid Row in the months before she died.
His message was blunt. ‘This poor beautiful girl is dead because nobody was willing to drag her to rehab against her will,’ Pratt wrote.
The Daily Mail attempted to reach representatives for Pratt to gather further comment on his remarks. No response had been provided as of publication.
Chase’s journey to fame began in childhood, well before her breakthrough horror role made her a household name.
Her résumé eventually expanded to include appearances in “Lilo & Stitch,” “Donnie Darko,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “ER,” and “Big Love.”
By 2013, the actress had begun pulling away from the spotlight entirely. Her final public appearance came at a Vogue-hosted dinner that April, and her presence on social media went silent after one last post in 2017.
That same year marked a turning point marred by legal trouble. Police arrested Chase in Los Angeles after she was allegedly involved in joyriding a stolen vehicle.
An even more disturbing incident unfolded in 2017 as well, one that would later seem eerily prophetic.
Authorities questioned Chase after she left an unconscious man outside a hospital and drove off without waiting. That man was later found to have died of a drug overdose.
Hernandez has since revealed that he and Chase spent years homeless together before her death. He also disclosed a strained and bitter relationship between Chase and her own family during that period.
Describing his late girlfriend in one fundraising plea, Hernandez wrote: ‘Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life… But behind the scenes, she’s faced more than her share of hardship.’
Pratt’s comments about Chase’s death land at a turbulent moment in his own life, arriving just weeks removed from a bruising defeat in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
His political ambitions were born out of personal catastrophe: the loss of his $3 million home in last year’s Palisades wildfire.
That devastating loss pushed Pratt toward public criticism of city leadership and ultimately into the mayoral contest itself.
He briefly held second place in the race before Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman surged past him.
The Associated Press confirmed shortly afterward that Raman had secured a spot in the November runoff election against incumbent Democrat Mayor Karen Bass, ending Pratt’s campaign for good.
California election law dictates that the top two finishers proceed to a runoff regardless of party affiliation.
Pratt, previously recognized for his role on reality series “The Hills,” ran an aggressive campaign widely seen as a direct response to Bass’s handling of the wildfires.
His bid was amplified by AI-generated videos created by online supporters and polished advertisements produced by his own campaign team, all centered on his pledge to confront the city’s homelessness epidemic.
The campaign drew notable star power throughout its run. Actor Kelsey Grammer, famous for “Frasier,” threw his support behind Pratt, telling Fox News Digital: ‘He’s the only guy that’s a real option.’
Actor Dennis Quaid offered similarly enthusiastic backing. Asked by Fox News why he supported Pratt, Quaid replied: ‘Why? What are you talking about? Why? Just look around, man.’
Singer Katharine McPhee and producer David Foster also lent their support to the campaign, hosting a fundraising event for Pratt earlier this year.
