Comedian Matt Rife announced on Friday that he is the new “guardian” of a supposedly haunted Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle.
“We are the legal guardians and caretakers of all 750 haunted artifacts and items in the Warren museum, including the Annabelle doll,” the 29-year-old celeb said, referencing himself and TikTok influencer and ghost hunter Elton Castee. He clarified that while he doesn’t own the items, he is responsible for them for the next five years.
“This is the most random hobby ever, but it’s so f***ing cool, man,” the comedian said on TikTok. “I should probably collect stamps or something — might be a little safer.”
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“INSANE ANNOUNCEMENT,” Rife wrote in the caption of an Instagram post sharing the news. “I have officially purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home and Occult Museum, including being the legal guardian for at least the next 5 years, of the entire haunted collection including THE ANNABELLE DOLL, with my good friend @eltoncastee!!”
“If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted,” Rife’s post went on. “You also may know The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time. So I’m incredibly honored to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history. Ed and Lorain Warren arguably put demonology and paranormal into the mainstream and are the very heart of some of the most famous haunted stories of all time, The Conjuring House, Amityville Horror, et…”
The comedian said he and Castee plan to “open the house for overnight stays and museum tours so you yourself can experience and learn all the haunted history surrounding this amazing place.”
The announcement comes after Annabelle’s previous guardian, Dan Rivera, died of natural causes last month while touring with the doll, sparking a lot of conversation online.
The New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) described this particular doll as “demonically possessed.” It was given to a nursing student in 1968, and she claimed that something wasn’t right with it.
“Almost immediately, the roommates noticed strange occurrences with the doll and they were introduced to a medium who told them the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle,” the organization reported. “The two roommates tried to accept the doll’s spirit and please it only to have it reciprocate maliciousness and violent intent.”
The society’s late founders, Ed and Lorraine Warren, kept the doll stored in a glass case to “contain the evil spirited entity.”
The film “Annabelle” from the Conjuring franchise is based on the story of the “haunted” doll. Meanwhile, many people are skeptical of the claims that the doll is possessed.