Daveigh Chase's Friend Amy Castle Breaks Silence on 'Ring' Star's Death

Daveigh Chase's childhood friend Amy Castle has spoken out following the former child star's death at age 35. Castle expressed that things "could have been different" and that the friend she knew "would never have wanted her life to go the way it went." Chase's boyfriend confirmed her death on June 17, initially citing meningitis and sepsis, but the official cause of death was later ruled as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with other significant conditions including chronic polysubstance use. Castle believes the root cause of addiction is trauma and that Chase "did not have the support" she needed to process it. She shared that learning Chase died of AIDS "brings a lot of emotions," noting that the disease is manageable in 2026 and expressing anger that her friend passed away that way. Castle and Chase formed a fast friendship as young actors in the early 2000s, attending the premiere of Lilo & Stitch together.