Daveigh Chase’s Former Manager Vehemently Disputes GoFundMe Claims

Daveigh Chase‘s former manager and longtime friend John Ryan is disputing claims made on a GoFundMe page by the late Lilo & Stitch actress’ boyfriend.

In a lengthy statement to Deadline, Ryan urges people not to contribute to the fund. “Daveigh’s estate has plenty of means to pay for the cremation,” Ryan says.

Chase’s former manager says he has been in touch with Chase’s family, including her father John Schwallier. “John is next of kin and never signed any paperwork over to this so called boyfriend,” Ryan says.

“That GoFundMe is not going toward ANY expenses for Daveigh,” Ryan says. “Myself her father, her uncle and all of us close friends who knew her for decades are encouraging people not to donate to this page. This man making these claims brought her into the hospital in terrible condition and didn’t let any of the family know until she passed so he can control the dialogue. Daveigh’s actual family is handling all arrangements, we have contacted go fund me to let them know this man started this page on his own under Daveighs name when she was already unresponsive and urging people to report the page and not donate.”

Ryan continued, “I find it disgusting that this man is using our friend’s tragic passing to get a few bucks for he and his family. There are no medical bills to be paid or funeral expenses. Myself and the family are handling all of those costs. As far as I’m concerned with the condition this man brought her to the hospital, he should be in jail. Myself and the family are sickened at the condition she was in before she passed. This guy’s trying to make it look like a Romeo and Juliet situation to benefit his own pockets.”

Deadline has reached out to the boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, through the GoFundMe page but has not yet received a response. Hernandez told TMZ last night that it is “100 percent” false to suggest the GoFundMe is illegitimate.

Chase, the former child actor who voiced the character of heroic Lilo in 2002’s acclaimed Lilo & Stitch and that same year portrayed the evil Samara Morgan in The Ring, died Tuesday, June 16, of complications from meningitis. She was 35, and had long struggled with drug addiction and homelessness.

Her death was announced by Hernandez, who wrote on GoFundMe that Chase was recently diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections. “Her condition has become critical, and the doctors have told me she may not have much time left,” he wrote prior to Chase’s death.

Born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase on July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, and raised in Albany, Oregon, Chase had launched her career as a child actor by age 7, when she appeared in commercials and on stage. At 8, she began appearing on such TV series as Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice and ER. In 2001, she was cast as Samantha Darko in Richard Kelly’s cult film Donnie Darko starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role.

“This is so sad,” Ryan said in the statement to Deadline. “Daveigh was the sweetest girl who mixed up with the wrong crowd.”