Paranormal TikTok has been sent into a tizzy after comedian Matt Rife and YouTuber Elton Castee purchased the home-turned-museum of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Rife, 29, shared the news on social media last week, noting that he and Castee are officially the legal guardians of the Warren Occult Museum and the caretakers of more than 750 artefacts within the collection — including the infamous Annabelle doll.
Oh yes, that’s the home of the cursed little redhead who inspired the Annabelle horror franchise, and whose owners, the Warrens, inspired The Conjuring movies.
“I have officially purchased Ed and Lorraine Warren’s home and Occult Museum, including being the legal guardian for at least the next five years, of the entire haunted collection, including THE ANNABELLE DOLL,” Rife wrote on Instagram, noting that while he and Castee will be managing the estate, they technically don’t own the curios inside the museum.
In a TikTok video, which currently has more than 27 million views, Rife said that he and Castee have plans to allow people to stay in the house overnight.
“What this means for you guys is you are soon going to be able to book a night or a weekend and be able to stay at the Warrens’ house and investigate the house, the history of the house, as well as the museum and all the artefacts inside of it,” Rife explained.
While it seems like a bonkers pivot for the sometimes controversial comedian, he has apparently had a long-time love of the paranormal and frequently partakes in paranormal investigations with Castee. In one video posted to Castee’s YouTube, the pair spent two nights at the Warrens’ home.
Why does paranormal TikTok care?
Since Rife and Castee announced the news, paranormal TikTok has been sent into a tizzy. On one hand, it seems that paranormal enthusiasts online are titillated by the idea of staying at the reportedly extremely haunted house. On the other hand, many have expressed fear and worry for Rife — especially after he posted a photo with the Anabelle doll on Instagram.
“Matt should be careful. Do you see how Annabelle is looking at him?” commented one TikToker.
“Soooo when are you going to give us a tour?” said another.
“And this is how the next Conjuring movie starts,” quipped another TikToker.
Even Jersey Shore icon Snooki weighed in, commenting, “Oh, you in danger”.
The museum is said to be filled with not only objectively spooky things but genuinely cursed artefacts that can have grave consequences if they’re even touched by visitors — well, according to the believers.
The Annabelle doll, whether it be due to her movie-perpetuated reputation or actual haunted state, is said to be the most dangerous. In July, the Annabelle doll received even more spooky bad press after a paranormal investigator named Dan Rivera passed away while he was travelling with the doll.
Despite Rivera passing away from natural causes and having handled the doll on behalf of the New England Society of Psychic Research for many years, some horror lovers believed that it was further proof of the bad juju surrounding the Annabelle doll.
However, some paranormal experts don’t believe that the Warrens’ collection should be publicised in this way.
Paranormal researcher and the Warrens’ grandson, Chris McKinnell, has warned against Rife and Castee’s plan to open up the property for stays and self-led investigations. According to McKinnell, the home was never supposed to be a “public attraction” but rather a “controlled environment for education, spiritual research and protection”.
“We’re dealing with forces we don’t fully understand. That demands more than curiosity. It demands context, caution, and spiritual responsibility,” he told TMZ.
While he says he has no beef against Rife or Castee, he told the publication his aim was to “warn the public that the energies in this place can be deadly”.
Should Rife watch out? Or is this just ghost stories terrifying the masses on a very public scale? Who knows? Either way, I’m staying the fuck away from that creepy ass doll.
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