'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Spirited Away' Star Daveigh Chase's GoFundMe Faces Questions After Her Death

Family representatives and a former manager of actress Daveigh Chase have publicly urged fans not to donate to a GoFundMe campaign launched following her death, raising questions over who is authorised to speak on behalf of the former child star.

Chase, best known for voicing Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Chihiro in the English-language version of Spirited Away, died in Los Angeles on 16 June aged 35. In the days after her death, attention turned to an online fundraiser created by Roy Hernandez, who described himself as Chase's long-term partner.

The campaign was originally established while Chase was alive to help cover medical and living expenses before being updated to seek support for memorial arrangements. However, the appeal has since become the subject of a public dispute after people close to the actress challenged Hernandez's claims and urged supporters to withhold donations pending further clarification.

Why the Fundraiser Is Being Questioned

The campaign became the subject of scrutiny after a longtime friend and former manager of Chase publicly disputed Hernandez's role in the actress's life and questioned whether he was authorised to speak on behalf of her family.

According to statements provided to several US media outlets, the former manager claimed neither Chase's relatives nor close friends were familiar with Hernandez and urged members of the public not to donate until his identity and claims could be independently verified.

Part of the controversy centres on the fundraiser's description, which contains a number of personal claims about Chase's private life. Hernandez described the actress as his girlfriend and wrote that she had experienced a difficult childhood, became estranged from family members and struggled to find stability in recent years.

Those statements have not been publicly confirmed by Chase's family and have become a focal point of the dispute surrounding the campaign.

Hernandez Defends Campaign

Hernandez has strongly rejected suggestions that the fundraiser is illegitimate. He told US media that he had been in a relationship with Chase since 2019 and launched the campaign in an effort to help support her during a serious illness. According to Hernandez, any remaining funds are intended to help provide a memorial service following her death.

The fundraiser states that Chase had been diagnosed with meningitis and multiple blood infections and that her condition had become critical in the days before her death.

Family representatives have not publicly confirmed those medical details. Reports indicate that Chase's father has since contacted hospital authorities regarding funeral arrangements, although details about memorial plans have not been publicly released.

At the time of writing, GoFundMe had not publicly commented on the dispute or indicated whether it was reviewing the campaign.

Remembering Daveigh Chase

Despite the controversy, tributes have largely focused on Chase's work in film and television.

She became widely recognised after voicing Lilo Pelekai in Disney's 2002 animated hit Lilo & Stitch and later voiced Chihiro Ogino in the acclaimed English-language version of Spirited Away.

Outside animation, Chase earned lasting recognition for portraying Samara Morgan in The Ring. Her television credits included Big Love, ER, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and other productions throughout the early 2000s.

As tributes continue to be shared online, questions surrounding the fundraiser remain unresolved. The dispute has highlighted the challenges that can arise when fundraising campaigns are launched around a public figure's illness or death, particularly when there are competing claims over who is authorised to speak on behalf of the deceased. While fans continue to celebrate Chase's career and legacy, the debate over the fundraiser and memorial arrangements remains ongoing.