Comedian Matt Rife purchases infamous Annabelle doll as Ed and Lorraine Warren's grandson raises major concerns

Controversial comedian Matt Rife has made the bizarre purchase of the infamous Annabelle doll - yes, the doll all those terrifying horror movies are about.

Chris McKinnell, grandson of late paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, has spoken out following the controversial sale of the late couple's 'haunted' home - as well as the artefacts inside.

Comedy star Matt Rife is the one who recently took over the colossal Connecticut property, which included a museum that hosts their 'entire haunted collection'.

Now, fans of The Conjuring horror-movie franchise - in which the Warrens are portrayed by actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson - will be more than familiar with one of the most notorious items from the collection, being that it inspired a whole spin-off series.

We are, of course, talking about Annabelle - an allegedly demonic Raggedy Ann doll, believed by the Warrens to have been possessed by the spirit of a six-year-old girl.

The Annabelle doll inspired a spin-off horror series (Warner Bros)

The couple professed that the doll could move by itself, and could enact malicious behaviour, including by inflicting 'psychic slashes' that drew blood from victims.

As such, the Warrens placed Annabelle in a display box at their museum.

Revealing last month that he'd 'officially purchased' the property and its exhibits, 30-year-old funnyman Rife described the decision as 'super random, telling his TikTok followers: "This might be the most important and prominent piece of paranormal history in the world.

"Ed and Lorraine Warren are who took demonology and ghost hunting and paranormal investigating and made it mainstream."

He added at the time: "I know a lot of you guys don’t know [what] any of this means whatsoever, but if you follow ghost stuff, this is about as big as it gets."

He clarified: "We do not legally own the items, but we are the legal guardians and caretakers of the items for at least the next five years."

Unfortunately for Rife, however, the sale of the notorious haunted house hasn't gone down too well with one man, who has a particularly close association with the Warrens.

McKinnell - the son of the couple's only daughter, Judy Spera - recently voiced concerns that his grandparents' possessions had become something of a novelty in the entertainment world.

Appearing on the Reel Appreciation podcast recently, the 61-year-old was asked about Rife's new home.

In response, McKinnell claimed he'd 'never even heard of' the comedian 'until he bought it', insisting: "I didn't know who he was."

Despite his aggrieved response to Rife's decision, the guest star then went on to claim he's 'far more concerned' about his mother's husband, Tony Spera, who he accused of exploiting their family's legacy.

This includes, McKinnell said, the recent rolling of the Annabelle doll 'out on tour'.

He began by branding his stepfather an 'entertainer', highlighting that Tony was a character in the most recent Conjuring movie while also starring in a cameo role himself.

Ed and Lorraine Warren kept their 'haunted' artefacts inside a museum (Bettmann / Contributor)

McKinnell hit out: "I was willing to allow him to do that and just live his moment, for my mother's sake, but then he started wanting to bring this thing on tour, and that to me was so dangerous, such a betrayal of everything my grandparents spent their lives doing."

For reference, both Judy and Tony are currently the faces of the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), a paranormal convention society originally founded by the Warrens.

Going on, McKinnell hit out at the marketing of his grandparents' careers in general, adding: "One of the worst parts of my grandparents' legacy is that my grandfather ever made the mistake of calling it a museum. It was never open to the public.

"That's a misconception."

How many films have been made about the Warren family?

There are four main films that make up The Conjuring franchise but nine so far that make up the universe surrounding the Warren family.

These are:

• The Conjuring – 2013
• Annabelle – 2014
• The Conjuring 2 – 2016
• Annabelle: Creation – 2017
• The Nun – 2018
• The Curse of La Llorona – 2019
• Annabelle Comes Home – 2019
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – 2021
• The Nun II – 2023
• The Conjuring: Last Rites – 2025

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