According to a July 24 report by the Daily Mail, Daveigh Chase’s biological father, John Schwallier, gave an emotional exclusive interview on what would have been his daughter’s 36th birthday. Earlier, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner officially concluded that Chase died from complications related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and polysubstance abuse, shocking many fans.

Speaking in the interview, Schwallier said he thinks about his daughter every day. However, he claimed that his former wife prevented him from maintaining a relationship with Daveigh throughout her life. “The saddest part is that my ex-wife kept me from seeing my daughter, so the only photos I have are ones I printed from the internet,” he said. He also revealed that he was not given access to her ashes after she was cremated and vowed to pursue legal action if necessary to obtain half of her remains.

The rise and tragic downfall of the once-celebrated child star has been described as heartbreaking. Chase earned widespread acclaim in 2002 after voicing Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, before achieving international fame as Samara in The Ring. Her chilling performance even earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. However, her acting career gradually declined after she entered adulthood.

According to the report, the turning point came in 2016 when she suffered a serious motorcycle accident that left her with spinal injuries. She was prescribed the powerful opioid painkiller oxycodone, which reportedly led to severe drug addiction. As her life unraveled, she eventually became homeless, living in tents and campers while facing repeated arrests on theft and drug possession charges.

Chase’s mother, Cathy Chase, also expressed deep regret over the events leading to her daughter’s death. She said she spent years searching dangerous neighborhoods and homeless encampments throughout Los Angeles in hopes of finding her daughter. The grieving mother recalled one particularly painful memory, saying prison officials mistakenly gave her the wrong release time before Daveigh was discharged from jail. Because of the error, she missed picking her daughter up by just one day.

“I believe I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life,” Cathy said through tears, explaining that her daughter returned to the streets after leaving jail and disappeared again, making it impossible for the family to reconnect.

Reports also revealed the devastating condition of the former actress shortly before her death. She was said to have suffered from severe malnutrition, weighing only 65 pounds (approximately 29 kilograms), leaving her body dangerously emaciated.

Sources: Nate