Annabelle: Has ‘haunted’ horror film doll escaped from her museum casing? Owner clears up rumours

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The owner of the real-life Annabelle doll has addressed rumours the "haunted" horror film inspiration escaped from her museum casing.

Reports of the doll's escape started circulating on social media Friday night (14 August) after someone updated the official Wikipedia page to say she was no longer in her enclosure at the Occult Museum in Connecticut.

However, soon after, the confusion was cleared up by Tony Spera, the son-in-law of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren – the inspirations of the Conjuring franchise.

"I'm here to tell you something," he said on the family's YouTube channel. "I don't know if you want to hear this or not, but Annabelle did not escape."

To emphasise the point, he turned the camera to the apparently haunted doll, who could be seen safely in her enclosure.

He quipped: "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."

Issuing a warning to anyone doubting claims she is haunted, Spera said: "I'd be concerned if Annabelle really did leave because she's nothing to play with."

The doll was first owned by a student who, in 1970, called upon the Warrens when she claimed Annabelle started "exhibiting malicious and frightening behaviour".

The Warrens always claimed that the doll was "demonically possessed" by the spirit of a deceased girl.

Annabelle first appeared in The Conjuring before receiving her own spin-off franchise.

The previous entry was 2019's Annabelle Comes Home.