Daveigh Chase's father speaks out on Lilo & Stitch star's death from AIDS

Daviegh Chase’s father has broken his silence after his daughter’s cause of death was revealed to be AIDS.

The heartbreaking news broke earlier this month that the American actress had passed away at the age of just 35 years old.

Chase, who shot to fame as a child star, was best known for portraying Samara Morgan in the classic 2002 horror film The Ring, as well as voicing Lilo in Disney’s animated Lilo & Stitch.

The BBC initially reported that the actress died from sepsis after suffering from meningitis and being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital, with this being confirmed by her manager John Ryan Jr.

He also said that she was in the hospital for malnourishment before her death.

However, the outlet today (30 June) reported that Chase’s cause of death was actually AIDS, citing official findings.

According to the publication, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner also listed ‘chronic polysubstance use’ under ‘other significant conditions’, and ruled her death to be ‘natural’.

Chase's cause of death has been confirmed as AIDS (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Polysubstance use is the official term for using more than one drug or substance at the same time or within a short period of time.

Chase’s father, John Schwallier, told The New York Post that his daughter’s cause of death ‘doesn’t surprise’ him, adding that ‘it is what it is’ and that ‘it’s something you sometimes have to expect with the lifestyle she was living’.

The outlet alleged that she had been battling addiction and homelessness on Skid Row in Los Angeles for years, and he didn't have contact with her.

Schwallier told The Post that Chass’s remains have gone to her mother, as he has not seen his daughter in person since she was six years old, adding that they spoke only on the phone when she was growing up.

He said that he’s willing to go to court to get some of her cremated remains if he has to, as he wants to put them in a handmade box in his home in the Philippines.

Schwallier told the publication: “I had an empty feeling inside for not being with her for all these years.”

The actress was best known for voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

It comes after her manager, John Ryan Jr, also paid tribute, as he told the BBC, “She was the greatest. She loved cats. She worked with cat rescues with us. She was very to herself.

"She was not very Hollywood. She'd rather eat at Bob's Big Boy and go home with the cats. She loved acting but wasn't into the fame scene.”

Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, also set up a GoFundMe page in the days prior to her death, describing the star as a ‘light in his life,’ who ‘faced more than her share of hardship’.

He wrote: “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. 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.”