Zak Bagans Opens Up on Annabelle Encounter Before Dan Rivera’s Tragic Death
Another day, another unsettling story in the paranormal realm. Zak Bagans just opened up about his own run-in with the infamous Annabelle doll before fellow ghost hunter Dan Rivera’s sudden passing. In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly published July 16, the Ghost Adventures host confessed that handling the doll at his Las Vegas museum in 2017 left him distinctly shaken. According to Bagans, the supposedly haunted Raggedy Ann has more tricks up its sleeve than movie magic.
Bagans revealed that when the owner brought Annabelle to his Haunted Museum in 2017, he immediately felt a negative presence. “I got very affected by her and it kinda caused me to touch the doll,” the paranormal star told Us Weekly. The museum visitor behind the exhibit reportedly bristled at Bagans’s unsanctioned contact, making it clear that Annabelle’s reputation for mischief is no mere rumor. Bagans stopped short of describing any spectacular poltergeist activity, but his admission underscores just how potent the doll’s lore can be.
The eerie history of Annabelle dates back to 1968, when a student nurse and her roommates in Connecticut began reporting bizarre phenomena surrounding a Raggedy Ann toy. The New England Society of Psychic Research, led by demonologist Ed Warren and trance medium Lorraine Warren, stepped in to investigate. After cataloging everything from moved objects to chilling messages, the Warrens locked Annabelle in a glass-fronted case at their museum to contain the “evil-spirited entity” said to inhabit her. That very legend inspired The Conjuring franchise starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
Rivera, a 54-year-old investigator who had collaborated with the NESPR for over a decade, was touring with Annabelle when he was found dead in a Pennsylvania hotel room on July 13. Local authorities reported no signs of foul play at the scene and are awaiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause. In a July 15 statement, NESPR said it is “still coming to terms with this profound loss” but will press on with the Annabelle tour, which is slated to reach Maine in September. “We believe with all our hearts that Dan would have wanted the work to continue,” the group said of its colleague and friend.
In the wake of Rivera’s death, Bagans extended his condolences to the investigator’s loved ones. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends,” he told Us Weekly. Meanwhile, the world of celebrity supernatural tales shows no sign of slowing down. Courteney Cox once told Howard Stern about a delivery driver who insisted her house was haunted after spotting a ghostly figure behind her. The Friends star also recalled being rattled by disembodied faces and moving objects during a visit to London.
Anyway, that is the vibe. Sleep tight—just in case Annabelle decides to drop by tonight.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Us Weekly, New England Society of Psychic Research
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
