The infamous Annabelle doll, long believed by paranormal enthusiasts to be haunted, became the center of a viral storm over Memorial Day weekend, after rumors spread online suggesting the doll had gone missing during a tour stop. The unsettling claim sparked a frenzy across social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where millions of users weighed in on the doll’s alleged disappearance.
It all began with unverified rumors that the doll, part of a traveling paranormal exhibit featuring artifacts from the famed Warren Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, had vanished en route to Chicago. The speculation was amplified by a TikTok video from user Christopher Kiely, which alone garnered over 8.7 million views. Other videos echoing the theory continued to rack up millions more, pushing Annabelle back into the internet spotlight.
As theories ran wild—from theft to escape to supernatural interference—fans demanded answers. Was the haunted doll really on the loose?
The New England Society of Psychic Research (NESPR), the organization founded by famed demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, stepped in to put the rumors to rest. NESPR posted on Facebook Saturday confirming that Annabelle is safe and secure in her glass case at the Warren’s Occult Museum.
“Annabelle is not stolen,” the post read. “She’s home, where she belongs.”
To further reassure the public, Dan Rivera, Senior Lead Investigator for NESPR, posted a video to TikTok, showing the doll in her familiar enclosure inside the museum in Monroe. “I just want to show you guys that Annabelle is in the Warrens’ Occult Museum,” Rivera says in the video. “Annabelle’s not missing. She’s not in Chicago.”
While the doll never made it to Chicago—at least not yet—Annabelle did recently appear at the Psychic & Spirit Fest in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the “Devils on the Run Tour.” The traveling event showcases several notorious items from the Warren collection and is scheduled to make additional stops in Illinois and Kentucky this October.
The confusion likely stemmed from the tour’s schedule, paired with a lack of public access to the Warren’s Occult Museum, which has been closed to visitors for years. Because people can’t see the doll in person unless it’s on tour, fans often rely on social media updates to keep track of its whereabouts—leaving room for rumor and speculation to flourish.
This isn’t the first time Annabelle has been the subject of a viral scare. Back in 2020, similar claims circulated that the doll had mysteriously escaped from its glass case. That theory, too, was quickly debunked by NESPR. Yet every few years, Annabelle finds herself at the center of new conspiracies, helped along by her eerie history and pop culture fame.
Annabelle rose to notoriety after being featured in the Warren’s real-life paranormal case files. The doll, originally a Raggedy Ann, was reportedly involved in a series of terrifying events in the 1970s and is said to have been responsible for demonic activity and at least one near-fatal attack. Hollywood quickly latched onto the legend, and Annabelle became the centerpiece of several films in The Conjuring universe.
Despite being behind glass, Annabelle’s mystique continues to loom large over both believers and skeptics. Whether it’s truth, hype, or folklore, one thing is certain: the doll still holds a powerful grip on the public imagination.
For now, the Warren’s team has made it clear—Annabelle is safe, accounted for, and not walking the streets of Chicago. As the “Devils on the Run Tour” continues later this year, fans can expect to see the doll—under lock and key—at select events across the country.