EXCLUSIVE: Melissa Gilbert V Daveigh Chase — Outraged Star Slams Late Former Child Star's Parents in Blistering Social Media Post
Melissa Gilbert has slammed former child star Daveigh Chase's parents in a blistering social media post.
July 26 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
An outraged Melissa Gilbert slammed late former child star Daveigh Chase's "stage parents" in an emotional Instagram post that also remembered Chase as "bubbly, sweet and professional."
As RadarOnline.com reported, Chase, who reportedly had been living on L.A.'s notorious Skid Row, died on June 16 at age 35.
She had long struggled with drug abuse, allegedly hooked on heroin and fentanyl.
Official Cause Of Death Confirmed
Melissa Gilbert said Daveigh Chase appeared driven by 'a push or need to perform' for her parents.
Her official cause of death was listed as AIDS, while chronic polysubstance use – the use of more than one drug in a short period of time – was a contributing factor.
"I only worked with Daveigh a couple of days but I could see she was bright both in countenance and in mind," Gilbert, 62, wrote about her encounter with the young actress over 20 years ago when they costarred in an unaired TV pilot.
"But there was something else there, a push or need to perform for her parents," she added.
"It was something Melissa, who appeared in commercials before scoring her breakthrough role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie at age 10, recognized immediately.
Stage Parents Sparked Troubling Warning
Gilbert warned stage parents can lose sight of their true responsibility to their children.
She noted when stage parents "lose sight of who THEY are, of what their true responsibility is, and their lives revolve solely around their little star child, well, that's where the trouble begins."
Chase, who voiced Lilo in the 2002 hit Lilo and Stitch and also starred in The Ring the same year, hadn't worked on any film or TV projects since 2015 as addiction took a bigger and bigger toll on her life.
Gilbert Urges Parents Stay Vigilant
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After starring in 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'The Ring,' Chase stopped acting as addiction took a greater toll on her life.
In her Instagram post, former Screen Actors Guild president Gilbert called on parents of young performers to make sure their kid is in the business "for the right reasons" – that it's something they truly want to do and time is carved out for them to enjoy "a normal life."
Meanwhile, Gilbert continues to defend her husband, 69-year-old actor Timothy Busfield, who is accused of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with twin boys, now 11, in 2022, while they worked on The Cleaning Lady, a TV series he directed. He has denied the charges.
