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11th August 2025
07:47pm BST
The grandson of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life Conjuring paranormal investigators, is not a fan of Matt Rife and Elton Castee turning their Connecticut property into a tourist attraction.
As the face of The Warren Legacy Foundation for Paranormal Research, Chris McKinnell reacted to the news in a lengthy, emotional and slightly terrifying statement.
"I don't have a problem with the buyers. Anybody could've bought it. But I'm worried about the public going in without understanding what they're exposed to," he began, referring to his grandfather and grandmother's adjoining Occult Museum that still harbours demonic curiosities like the Annabelle doll.
McKinnell went on to stress that he'd "kept quiet as long as I could" until now, explaining why Ed and Lorraine's Hollywood-ised legacy should be respected as opposed to dangerously monetised.
"Over the years, I've become increasingly estranged from my family due to deep differences in how we view and perceive the legacy of my grandparents," he revealed. "At the heart of that distance is a sincere disagreement over how sacred this work truly is - and how it should be handled with reverence, not publicity.
"Most recently, I voiced my concern about Annabelle being taken on tour. And now, I'm watching the only real home - the one place in the world that felt unquestionably like home - be turned into a tourist attraction. Let me be clear: I have nothing against Matt Rife. I didn't know who he was until a few days ago.
"I believe his intentions are good, and I don't hold him responsible for the decisions that led to this moment. But for me, this is deeply personal."
The grandson labelled Ed and Lorraine his "anchors", while also recounting his summers spent at their home as a kid.
"I remember holidays spent there, the quiet wisdom they shared, and the unshakable sense of duty they felt to protect people from what they couldn't always see or understand. I've lived in over a hundred places around the world, but that house - that museum - was the one constant in my life," his impassioned statement continued.
"This legacy matters. It's not a brand. It's not content. It's not entertainment. It's sacred."
Speaking to TMZ this weekend, McKinnell even claimed that Rife and Castee are risking people's lives by opening the Occult Museum to the public for overnight stays.
