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The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Can dolls really be haunted? And did the infamous Annabelle lead a jailbreak in New Orleans?
Name: Annabelle. Age: She first surfaced in 1970, though she's a Raggedy Ann doll, a type that was first patented in 1915, so she could be as old as 110. Appearance: Cloth body, red woolly hair, stripy stockings, big eyes, fixed grin. Just a normal rag doll. Nothing to see here. If there's nothing to see, why are we talking about her? Because there happened to be a large fire and a jailbreak in New Orleans while 'one of the most infamous dolls on the planet' was in town. Reports of Annabelle going missing and causing 'local disasters' while on tour in May have been proliferating online. Chicago was bracing itself last week after rumours she was coming for them next. Hang on, hang on. 'Infamous'? 'Disasters'? Explain yourself. Annabelle is haunted, probably cursed. Given to a Connecticut nurse in 1970, she soon started moving around, leaving notes and inflicting 'psychic slashes' on visitors. Passive-aggressive, huh? I've had roommates like that. Well, the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren concluded Annabelle was demonically possessed and removed her to their museum. 'Allegedly linked to decades of deaths and grisly paranormal activity,' according to NBC, she has subsequently inspired three films in The Conjuring horror franchise (Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation and Annabelle Comes Home). I like the 'allegedly' there, as if she may be litigious. Look at her: she'd absolutely take you to the cleaners. So this Annabelle doll recently went walkabout and bad stuff happened? According to the New England Society for Psychic Research, who organised her tour (called Devils on the Run), Annabelle did not go missing in New Orleans, and she was never in Chicago at all. 'That doll was never out of our sight, never out of our control,' her handler, Tony Spera, confirmed. She remained in her case, which is 'usually secured by crosses and holy water'. It's fake news, then? Or possibly viral marketing, but social media users aren't buying it. 'Ed and Lorraine told y'all to keep her locked up,' one wrote on the Facebook page for Ghost City Tours, which hosted Annabelle in New Orleans. 'Nobody listened. Look at the aftermath.' TikTok users freaked out at the idea she was missing, and questioned why Annabelle was 'on tour' at all: 'Is she about to drop her first single, I love Satan and killing babies???' This is just silly, isn't it? Haunted dolls aren't real. Ebay users would beg to differ: there's a buoyant market for them, everything from 'positive, beginner-friendly' Gemma to Vicky, 'a particularly horrid spirit' who hides the TV remote and 'doesn't like men at all'. Again, I've had roommates like that. There are other celebrity haunted dolls, too: sailor-suited Robert, who lives in Florida and inflicts 'post-visit misfortunes' on disrespectful guests; and Okiku, who is possessed by a dead child and has hair that keeps growing. But Annabelle is the most powerful and we should respect her. Annabelle's making you say that, isn't she? Blink twice for yes. Shh, she'll hear you! Do say: 'Annabelle can't hurt you.' Don't say: 'Got myself a cryin', walkin', jail-breakin', murderin', haunted doll.'
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Chilling history behind the haunted Annabelle doll as its tour across the US sparks frenzied panic
Most people have heard of the haunted Annabelle doll from the wildly popular horror flick The Conjuring. And while a tale of a possessed doll wreaking havoc on an innocent family seems like one that was cooked up for the big screen, it's actually said to be based off of true events. In fact, the Annabelle doll has its own long and twisted history... from claims that it 'physically attacked' someone to rumors that a man died in a horrific motorcycle crash after he taunted it. Famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren came into possession of the doll in the 1970s after two young nurses reached out begging for help. They claimed the doll, which had been a birthday gift, was wreaking havoc on their lives, placing handwritten eerie messages around their home, moving on its own, and even leaving horrific scratch marks on one of their boyfriends. The Warrens took it off their hands, and upon investigating, the couple became convinced that a 'demonic' force was possessing the doll. According to a biographer who studied their case files, the Warrens claimed to have witnessed frightening and even life-threatening mishaps whenever it was around. Eventually, they deemed it so dangerous that they built a special case to store it in, and warned that it should never be opened again. In the years since then, it has sat behind glass in the Warrens museum, but some horror fans who traveled just to get a glimpse of the infamous doll have claimed that weird stuff started to happen to them afterwards. Now, the allegedly paranormal doll is in the midst of a tour across the globe... and it may be coming to your city soon. That's right, the doll was recently removed from its sacred case - despite previous warnings from the Warrens - and will be making its way around the country, and the news has launched massive panic online. To make matters worse, rumors recently erupted that the doll went 'missing,' and some have pointed out that bad stuff happened in the towns she visited - like a fire breaking out and inmates escaping from a local prison. It's certainly up to you whether or not you believe the stories that surround the child's toy... but amidst the tour, we figured it would be best if you were informed on the Annabelle doll's dark past. Here's everything we know about the supposedly haunted toy. Two nurses claimed the doll wreaked havoc on their lives in the 1970s before turning to the Warrens for help According to biographer Gerald Brittle's book The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the Warrens first came across Annabelle in 1970 after a priest called and asked for their assistance. They were told that two young nurses believed a human spirit was possessing their doll and were desperate for help. During a taped meeting with the Warrens, one of the nurses, named Deirdre, explained that the doll was gifted to her for her 28th birthday by her mother, per Gerald's book. She told the couple that it started 'moving around their apartment by itself' soon after, and leaving eerie, handwritten notes that said 'help me.' 'She moves. She acts alive,' Deirdre said. 'When we'd come home from work it would never be quite where we left it.' Her roommate, Lara's boyfriend, Cal, even alleged that he had been 'physically attacked' by the toy. He said during a taped interview with the Warrens, 'As I got close to the doll, I got the distinct impression that somebody was behind me. I swung around...' Lara interjected, 'When Cal turned around there wasn't anybody there, but he suddenly yelled and grabbed for his chest. 'He was doubled over, cut, and bleeding when I got to him. Blood was all over his shirt. 'Cal was shaking and scared and we went back out into the living room. We then opened up his shirt and there on his chest was what looked to be a sort of claw mark.' The women said they had hired a medium who told them that a little girl named Annabelle had died on their property years prior. They came to believe she was possessing the doll, but after investigating, Ed said they had been 'duped' and that there was no Annabelle. He believed the doll was 'taken over by something inhuman' and 'demonic' instead. According to the book, Ed and Lorraine brought in a priest who performed an exorcism, and they took the doll to their house to investigate further. Terrifying near-death experience led to the Warrens locking Annabelle up for good in a sealed case... warning that it should never be opened again But the hauntings allegedly didn't stop there, as they claimed that their car continuously 'stalled' and the steering and breaks 'failed' on the drive home, per Gerald's book. They said they had to throw 'holy water' onto the doll in order to get home safely. They also alleged that they called in a man named Father Daniel to help, but that he nearly lost his life after he didn't take the doll seriously. He reportedly 'picked up the doll' and said, 'You're just a rag doll, Annabelle, you can't hurt anything,' before he 'tossed it back on the chair,' according to the Warrens' biography. That night, he is said to have called Lorraine and told her, 'The brake system failed [on my car on the way home]. I was almost killed in a traffic accident. My car is a wreck.' Ed also claimed the doll levitated in front of him and constantly moved around their home before they decided to lock it up indefinitely. They had a special wooden and glass case constructed specially for the doll, and stored it away in their Occult Museum in Monroe, warning that it should never be opened. Visitor who 'taunted the doll' while visiting the Warrens' museum allegedly died in a horrific crash on the way home It wasn't until decades later when The Conjuring was released in 2013 that the world's fascination with the doll erupted. The creepy toy was featured heavily in the horror flick, and it was so successful, it ultimately inspired the spinoff Annabelle series that contained three more films. Immediately, the public became fiercely intrigued by the doll and its history - and some would even travel far and wide to get a chance to see it at the Warrens' museum. But according to a family member of the Warrens, tragedy struck when one visitor didn't treat the doll with respect. It's been said that the guest knocked on the glass case and taunted the doll before he was thrown out of the museum. But on his way home, he got into a fatal motorcycle accident, per the Warrens' son-in-law Tony Spera. 'It's probably the most dangerous artifact we have here in the museum. It's responsible for we believe the death of a young man who came on a motorcycle and challenged that doll to do its worst and it did,' Tony told WTNH in 2016. The name of the alleged crash victim was never shared so we weren't able to verify Tony's claims. One horror buff wrote in an essay in 2019 that her life turned into a 'nightmare' after she met the doll and 'mocked it' in her head. 'It was surreal to be standing next to her. At this point, I was on cloud nine at the idea of being in the same room with such an infamous object,' she wrote on the site 'But somehow, my mind slipped into a dark place and I mocked her. In my mind, I thought about how hideous she looked inside her box. 'However, it never occurred to me that I could bring something home with me. And for the next year and a half, I was stuck in a living nightmare.' She claimed that for months afterwards, she had a string of bad incidents plague her life and that she would wake up with unexplainable pain in her stomach most nights. 'I heard constant creaking. I was regularly sick. I heard noises coming from inside my walls. My eyes played tricks on me in the dark,' she continued. 'How can one person have this much bad luck? The only thing I could think of to explain my string of misfortune was Annabelle. It had to be her.' She warned, 'Tread lightly, and whatever you do – don't mock her.' Panic erupted as Annabelle 'headed out on a tour' across the US, with some claiming a fire broke out and inmates escaped from prison after she visited the city Due to her popularity, the Annabelle doll was recently removed from the secured case she was displayed in for years so she could be included as part of the travelling US exhibition Devils on the Run. The tour kicked off earlier this month, but things to a dark turn when visitors at a recent stop on the tour claimed the three-foot-tall doll wasn't anywhere to be found, sparking a panic and fear online. Terror grew when a fire broke out the historic Nottoway Resort in White Castle, Louisana, and 10 inmates escaped from a prison in New Orleans just days after Annabelle was displayed in the state. However, after countless rumors and terrified fans, New England Society for Psychic Research's lead investigator Dan Rivera came forward to debunk the theories in a TikTok video earlier this week. 'I'm here at the museum right now, and I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens' Occult Museum. Let's go inside and let's check,' he began the video. As he weaved his way through he exhibits, he approached the doll sitting in her secured wooden case. 'Annabelle is not missing. She is not in Chicago. She has never been missing,' he added. The tour is still underway as he ended the video by reminding horror fans that they would get the chance to see the 'possessed' toy at the Rock Island Roadhouse Esoteric Expo in Illinois on October 4. She will also be on display in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 11-13.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Haunted Annabelle doll's location finally revealed following frenzied speculation over whereabouts
The location of the infamous 'haunted' Annabelle doll has been revealed following frenzied speculation about its whereabouts. In recent days, social media was flooded with claims that the 'demonically possessed' Raggedy Ann doll had gone missing, causing horror buffs to become concerned. The Raggedy Anne Doll's paranormal legend dates back to the 1970s when it was apparently given as a gift to nurse in Hartford, Connecticut, before it began exhibiting disturbing behavior. Annabelle was thought to be possessed by the spirit of a dead child and was said to move on her own, leave terrifying handwritten notes and even allegedly attacked someone. The case caught the attention of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who concluded Annabelle was being manipulated by a demonic entity - and the doll later became the subject of The Conjuring films. Due to her popularity, the real Annabelle doll was removed from the secured case she was displayed in and was included as part of a traveling US exhibition Devils on the Run which began touring earlier this month. But recently, fans began to speculate the doll had escaped from her box during the tour hosted by the New England Society for Psychic Research, per The Independent. However, after countless rumors and terrified fans, the society's lead investigator Dan Rivera has finally come forward to debunk the theories in a TikTok video. 'I'm here at the museum right now, and I just wanna show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens' Occult Museum. Let's go inside and let's check,' he began the video. As he weaved his way through he exhibits, he approached the doll sitting in her secured wooden case. 'Annabelle is not missing. She is not in Chicago.' He added: 'She has never been missing.' However, Dan did advise horror fans that they would get the chance to see the 'possessed' toy at the Rock Island Roadhouse Esoteric Expo in Illinois on October 4. The New England Society for Psychic Research also posted on their Facebook to assure fans: 'It's a rumor... Annabelle has NOT been stolen. The doll is safely in place at the Warren Occult Museum.' With all of the rumors circulating and the tour still underway, one haunted doll collector - who houses 54 'spirits' - argued the doll should not be taken on tour. In other Annabelle news, this wasn't the first time the terrifying doll has caused panic online. In 2020, Tony Spera, the son-in-law of Ed and Lorraine Warren, also had to clear up rumors of her escape. 'I'm here to tell you something, I don't know if you want to hear this or not, but Annabelle did not escape,' Spera said in a selfie video as he dramatically turned his camera to bring the infamous doll into view behind him. He added: 'Annabelle's here. She didn't go anywhere. She didn't take a trip. She didn't fly first class and she didn't go out to visit her boyfriend,' he said as he showed Annabelle in her glass case. 'So here she is. Let's put the rumors to rest, guys. 'I appreciate all the concern. I'd be concerned if Annabelle really did leave because she's nothing to play with.'
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Truth about lost Annabelle Doll revealed by paranormal expert after internet plunged into frenzy
Internet sleuths and horror fans were sent into a frenzy this week after it was claimed the infamous 'haunted' Annabelle doll had vanished whilst on tour in the US. The Raggedy Anne Doll's paranormal legend dates back to the 1970's when it was apparently given as a gift to nurse in Hartford, Connecticut, before it began exhibiting disturbing behaviour. Annabelle was thought to be possessed by the spirit of a dead child and was said to move on her own, leave terrifying handwritten notes and even allegedly attacked someone. The case caught the attention of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who concluded Annabelle was being manipulated by a demonic entity. They performed an exorcism before taking the doll away with them and sealing her inside a glass box inside their Occult Museum in Monroe. It wasn't until the release of the 2013 horror film The Conjuring and the 2014 sequel named after and based on Annabelle that the legend became popular in mainstream media - proven by the subsequent release of two more movies. Due to her popularity, the real Annabelle doll was removed from the secured case she was displayed in and was included as part of a travelling US exhibition Devils on the Run which began touring earlier this month. This is despite stark warnings from the Warren's that she should never be moved. But things to a dark turn when visitors at a recent stop on the tour claimed the three-foot-tall doll wasn't anywhere to be found, sparking a panic and fear online. Growing terror amongst fans of all things morbid grew when a fire broke out the historic Nottoway Resort in White Castle, Louisana, and ten inmates escaped from a prison in New Orleans just days after Annabelle was displayed in the state. On X, one person wrote: 'Three days ago they moved Annabelle, one of the most haunted dolls from Monroe, Connecticut to New Orleans, Louisiana and now the largest sugarcane plantation in Louisiana burned down AND 11 inmates in a New Orleans Prison escape. Didn't the Warren's say she should never be moved?' Another said: 'So the streets are saying after they moved the Annabelle doll out of the Warren museum (when they explicitly said never to move it) she's now gone missing.' Someone else ranted: 'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THEY LOST THE ANNABELLE DOLL??? ONE OF THE MOST HAUNTED POSSESSIONS?? THAT ANNABELLE?' Putting the frenzies rumours to rest, Dan Rivera of the New England Society for Psychic Research which oversees the Warren Occult Museum's collection, released a video showing the doll safe and sound in a protective glass case back in Connecticut. The caption read: 'Some wild and crazy internet rumours this morning claiming that we lost Annabelle. She/it is NOT lost'. It comes as a haunted doll collector who houses 54 'spirits' weighed in on the debate surrounding the allegedly paranormal Annabelle doll being taken on 'tour.' Collector Teej said: 'Do I believe that Annabelle is responsible for all of the tragedy that she is being blamed for right now? Absolutely not. 'Most of the stories tied to her are unverified and don't have any evidence to back them up. 'Honestly, I believe that Annabelle deserves a fresh investigation with an unbiased investigation team, to figure out what is actually going on with her.' Teej said she believes the doll's narrative was 'created' by the Warrens following their initial investigation. She added: 'This was a very long time ago and, since then, she has been sensationalised in Hollywood. 'We don't even know Annabelle's true story. We owe it not only to her, but to all spirits, to start asking the real questions and getting evidence on who they are and what happened to them. 'People keep saying "bring Annabelle home," but the truth is – Annabelle doesn't have a home. 'The Warrens Occult Museum has been closed to the public since 2019, so she [was] not at home – she was in storage. Locked away, not honoured, not protected, not valued.' Teej pointed out that the doll has spent her entire 'afterlife' on display in a museum being 'gawked at, disrespected, and sensationalised for money' – without any way to 'defend' herself from the claims. 'Imagine being the centre of basically an entire country's fear without any voice of your own, and no one to look out for and defend you,' she continued. 'Spirits like Annabelle are not props – no spirit is.' Teej explained that all purported spirits should be treated with 'dignity, respect and kindness' – no matter the rumours that have dogged them over the years.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm a haunted doll collector... here's why the infamous Annabelle toy should NOT be on tour across the US
A haunted doll collector who houses 54 'spirits' has weighed in on the debate surrounding the allegedly paranormal Annabelle doll being taken on 'tour.' The Raggedy Anne doll was made famous back in the 1970s when paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren looked into alleged attacks made by the infamous toy. While they warned that she should never be moved, Annabelle is now currently touring the US alongside other items from the Warrens Occult Museum collection – leaving people online up in arms. Now, haunted doll collector Teej, who has over 50 paranormal items in her possession, has issued a stark warning about the Annabelle tour. She insisted, however, that we shouldn't be so quick to make snap judgements about the toy, and said that she believes the haunted doll is misunderstood. 'Do I believe that Annabelle is responsible for all of the tragedy that she is being blamed for right now? Absolutely not,' the US-based woman told What's The Jam recently. 'Most of the stories tied to her are unverified and don't have any evidence to back them up. 'Honestly, I believe that Annabelle deserves a fresh investigation with an unbiased investigation team, to figure out what is actually going on with her.' Teej said she believes the doll's narrative was 'created' by the Warrens following their initial investigation. She added: 'This was a very long time ago and, since then, she has been sensationalized in Hollywood. 'We don't even know Annabelle's true story. We owe it not only to her, but to all spirits, to start asking the real questions and getting evidence on who they are and what happened to them. 'People keep saying "bring Annabelle home," but the truth is – Annabelle doesn't have a home. 'The Warrens Occult Museum has been closed to the public since 2019, so she [was] not at home – she was in storage. Locked away, not honored, not protected, not valued.' Teej pointed out that the doll has spent her entire 'afterlife' on display in a museum being 'gawked at, disrespected, and sensationalized for money' – without any way to 'defend' herself from the claims. 'Imagine being the center of basically an entire country's fear without any voice of your own, and no one to look out for and defend you,' she continued. 'Spirits like Annabelle are not props – no spirit is.' Teej explained that all purported spirits should be treated with 'dignity, respect and kindness' – no matter the rumors that have dogged them over the years. In Annabelle's case, the doll dates back to 1970 when she was gifted to a nursing student, who was told by a psychic medium that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a deceased girl named Annabelle. The student and her roommate reported 'malicious and frightening' behaviors from the doll. Annabelle reportedly moved on her own and at one point attacked the fiancé of one of its owners. That's when the Warrens stepped in to investigate, deemed it to be demonic, and moved it to their museum. Annabelle then became one of the most well-known haunted items following the Conjuring and Annabelle movie franchises. The doll is now on tour across the globe through the Devils on the Run Tour, which takes items, including Annabelle, from the Warrens Occult Museum collection in Monroe to various cities to display them to horror buffs. Teej started connecting with the paranormal in childhood, encouraged by her family who took her on ghost hunts, and had her first encounter at the age of six. She said: 'We were in a parking lot using an Ovilus, which is a device that turns environmental energy into words that appear on a screen – a common spirit communication tool still used by investigators to this day. 'Out of nowhere, the Ovilus said, "Get out of the way, fast." We didn't wait, we moved immediately. 'Right after we cleared the area, a car whipped around the corner. It was really dark, and if we hadn't moved, there's a good chance we could've been hit. 'That moment stuck with me, not just because it was my first clear experience, but because it felt like a spirit was trying to help us. 'That was the first time I felt like a spirit interaction was actually positive, and that's something I've kept in mind ever since. 'It's a big part of why I'm now interested in haunted dolls, specifically ones with positive energy. That early experience shaped the way I look at the paranormal today.' She started collecting haunted dolls in 2020 – but will only house ones with positive intentions. 'What pulled me in were the stories behind them, specifically the personal accounts, the unexplained experiences, and the history behind some of the more well-known cases,' she continued. 'I spent a lot of time researching and reading about them, trying to understand what made each case unique. 'I choose to work only with positive spirits in my home because of the relationships that naturally develop over time. 'Many of these spirits have a genuine desire to communicate and be acknowledged, and that opens the door to meaningful and respectful connections. 'We treat them with respect, and in return, they do the same. Our interactions are often lighthearted and much of the paranormal activity in our home is playful, sometimes even meant to make us laugh. 'Just as importantly, I'm mindful of safety. When I investigate haunted locations, I always have the option to leave. 'But my home is my safe space, and I won't risk inviting in any spirit that could bring harm or disruption to me or my family. 'By setting clear boundaries, I'm able to stay open to paranormal experiences while still protecting the comfort and peace of our home.' She added of the recent news about Annabelle: 'While I know Annabelle is currently on tour and it's easy to fall into the trap of assuming all haunted dolls behave like the famous ones, it's important to remember that every spirit is unique 'No two spirits are exactly alike, and many are actually positive or neutral in nature. 'Making broad generalizations that all haunted dolls are dangerous or negative can be harmful and misleading. 'It's essential to take the time to get to know each spirit individually before jumping to conclusions about their behavior or intentions.'
