There is indeed a real Annabelle doll, though she’s a bit less creepy-looking than her cinematic counterpart. The New Haven Register once risked getting on Annabelle’s bad side by describing her as “a plain-looking, classic Raggedy Ann doll with red yarn for hair.”

Dan Rivera, a paranormal investigator and a handler of “Annabelle,” a doll that’s rumored to be possessed by evil spirits, has died. Rivera, 54, died on July 13, 2025 in a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania hotel room, Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill tells TODAY.com.