Honestly, the real Annabelle doll is nothing like the one they show in those Hollywood horror flicks. Forget the creepy porcelain face Annabelle’s just a giant, almost comically large Raggedy Ann doll, standing about three feet tall.
In 1970, a nurse named Donna received a Raggedy Ann doll now known as the real Annabelle as a birthday gift. Soon after, she and her roommate began experiencing unsettling events, including the doll reportedly changing positions on its own, mysterious handwritten notes appearing, and accounts of physical harm.
She panicked and called Ed and Lorraine Warren the OG ghostbusters, basically. They came in, poked around, and said, “Yeah, that’s not a little girl’s ghost. That’s straight-up demonic.” Not exactly comforting.
So the Warrens took Annabelle home and stuck her in a glass case at their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. Big bold sign: “Positively Do Not Open.” (Like, you’d really want to?) Over the years, people who visited the museum and messed with the case—mocked the doll, touched the glass—somehow ended up with terrible luck.
There’s even this story about some guy who taunted Annabelle, then died in a motorcycle crash right after. The Warrens basically told everyone: “Leave her alone if you value your life.” Supposedly, the evil spirit is still kicking around, just waiting for someone to slip up.
Other Haunted Toys Like Annabelle:
But Annabelle isn’t the only plaything with a dark side. There are a bunch of other haunted toys and objects out there that make you want to sleep with the lights on:
Robert the Doll (down in Key West, Florida): This old straw-stuffed doll belonged to a kid named Robert Eugene Otto back in the early 1900s. People swear Robert moves by himself, messes up electronics, and even curses disrespectful visitors at the East Martello Museum.
The Crying Boy Painting (UK): Mass-produced, weirdly sad painting. In the 1980s, a string of house fires always seemed to leave this painting untouched, just chilling on the wall while everything else was toast. Creepy, right?
The Dybbuk Box (US): Looks like a harmless wine cabinet, but it’s allegedly packed with an evil spirit straight out of Jewish folklore. Owners have complained of nightmares, illness, and all sorts of bad juju. Even Post Malone said he got slammed with bad luck after getting too close to it.
Pulau Ubin Barbie Doll (Singapore): Locals believe this Barbie houses the spirit of a dead girl. People leave offerings at her shrine, hoping for luck or maybe a miracle. Not your average toy aisle find.
All these weird artifacts? Paranormal folks study them, regular people fear them, and in some circles, they’re downright legendary.
The Ghostbusters Couple – Ed and Lorraine
Ed and Lorraine were the real deal in the ghost-hunting world. Ed taught himself demonology (which, I guess, you can do?), and Lorraine claimed to be clairvoyant. Together, they kicked off the New England Society for Psychic Research back in 1952. Their resume’s wild: Amityville Horror, the Perron Family, Annabelle the list goes on. They were big believers in using religious rituals and faith to fight off the spooky stuff, and they collected all sorts of haunted junk, keeping it locked up in their private museum. Lorraine kept the torch burning after Ed died in 2006, staying in the field until she passed in 2019.
And then there’s Hollywood the Conjuring Universe. James Wan directed the first “Conjuring” movie in 2013, and the whole franchise just exploded from there. You’ve got spin-offs for days: “Annabelle” (because, of course), “The Nun” (thanks, Valak, for my nightmares), “The Conjuring 2” (the Enfield poltergeist), and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (the first time possession was used as a murder defense in court). Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine, making them famous all over again and blending all that real-world folklore with pure supernatural mayhem.
So yeah, next time you see a raggedy old doll at a thrift store? Maybe just keep walking.
Must Read: Possessed Annabelle Doll Tour Handler Dies Suddenly, Where Is The Doll Now?
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
