Is She Gone? Annabelle’s Rumored Escape Sets Internet on Edge

A wave of internet hysteria was sparked this week after rumors began circulating that the infamous Annabelle doll — the alleged haunted artifact popularized by the Conjuring universe — had mysteriously vanished during a paranormal tour stop in Louisiana. Social media was ablaze with speculation, conspiracy theories, and outright panic, with some users linking the alleged disappearance to a recent fire at a historic plantation.

The chaos began shortly after a blaze engulfed the Nottoway Plantation, now known as Nottoway Resort, in White Castle, Louisiana. Though the fire was contained without casualties, online users began claiming the Annabelle doll was being displayed nearby — and had gone missing in the aftermath.

The doll, a Raggedy Ann figure housed in the Warrens’ Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, is famed for allegedly being possessed by a malevolent spirit. It gained notoriety in the 1970s following the investigations of legendary paranormal researchers Ed and Lorraine Warren, and has since become a pop culture icon in horror lore.

Online panic escalated quickly. One viral post on X (formerly Twitter) read: “I just saw a post on Facebook that they LOST THE ANNABELLE DOLL? I’m fleeing the country goodbye.” Another exclaimed, “THEY LOST THE ANNABELLE DOLL?? LIKE?? THE HAUNTED ANNABELLE DOLL??”

But the uproar was short-lived.

Dan Rivera of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) — the group founded by the Warrens — promptly put the rumors to rest. In a video posted from inside the Warrens’ museum, Rivera revealed the doll sitting safely inside its protective glass case.

“Some wild and crazy internet rumors this morning claiming that we lost Annabelle,” Rivera said in the video. “She/it is NOT lost. Annabelle is back home inside the museum in Connecticut… for now. And no, Annabelle is not supposed to be in Chicago.”

The swift response quashed theories connecting the doll to the Louisiana fire. Authorities also confirmed there was no link between the Nottoway incident and any paranormal activity — real or imagined.

Still, the speed and intensity with which the Annabelle rumors spread underscore the enduring grip of urban legends in the age of viral content. Despite decades of scientific skepticism and rational discourse, the ghost stories of yesterday continue to thrive — especially when amplified by social media.

“Annabelle may be scary,” Rivera said, “but she isn’t going anywhere — at least, not without the Warrens’ permission.”

Whether it’s Hollywood horror or haunted folklore, Annabelle remains firmly locked away in Connecticut — a chilling reminder of how quickly the line between myth and reality can blur online.