Questions Swirl Around GoFundMe Launched for Late Ring Star Daveigh Chase

When someone passes away, the last thing family and close friends should have to worry about is whether the person organizing their memorial is who they claim to be. Yet that’s exactly the situation swirling around actress Daveigh Chase following her death on Tuesday from meningitis and complications that led to sepsis.

Roy Hernandez says he was Daveigh’s boyfriend of seven years and that he launched a GoFundMe in her final days to help cover medical and living expenses as she battled the infections. His account seems straightforward enough. But here’s where things get murky: Daveigh’s longtime friend and former manager tells a very different story. According to that manager, neither Daveigh’s family nor her inner circle recognizes Hernandez or knows who he is. The manager has publicly urged people not to donate to the fundraiser“until the organizer’s identity and claims can be verified.”

That’s a pretty serious red flag, especially when you consider what the manager also revealed: Daveigh, best known for voicing Lilo in“Lilo&Stitch”and playing the haunting lead role in“The Ring,”had a SAG trust account with more than enough funds to cover all medical expenses. Additionally, her father contacted the hospital Tuesday to claim her body—a move that suggests family is taking control of the situation. So if her medical bills were already covered and her family is handling arrangements, what exactly is the GoFundMe supposed to fund?

Hernandez insists his fundraiser is“100 percent”legitimate and was meant to ensure Daveigh receives a proper memorial. But with her father now in the picture, that moot point might become irrelevant anyway. GoFundMe hasn’t publicly commented yet, but this situation underscores just how vulnerable people and their families can be in moments of grief—and how quickly bad actors can exploit that vulnerability if no one’s watching. The public’s skepticism here isn’t cynicism; it’s caution.