The Conjuring True Story: 7 Shocking Real-Life Updates The 2025 Film Won't Tell You

The true story behind *The Conjuring* (2013) remains one of the most compelling and debated cases in modern paranormal history. Based on the 1971 haunting of the Perron family in their Harrisville, Rhode Island farmhouse, the film launched a billion-dollar horror franchise. However, as of late 2024 and into 2025, new details, complex ownership dramas, and historical debunkings continue to emerge, proving that the reality is often stranger—and far less cinematic—than the fiction. This article dives into the freshest, most current facts about the real events investigated by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. The original film’s narrative is deeply rooted in the experiences of the Perron family, who lived in the house for a decade, and the brief, dramatic intervention of the Warrens. The oldest daughter, Andrea Perron, has been the most vocal about their ordeal, but even she admits the movie took significant creative liberties. With the upcoming 2025 film, *The Conjuring: Last Rites*, shifting focus to a different Warren case—the Smurl family haunting—it’s the perfect time to revisit the original, foundational story and separate the five percent truth from the ninety-five percent fiction.

The Conjuring's Key Figures: A Biographical Overview

The true story is woven around two distinct groups: the paranormal investigators and the family they assisted.

• Ed Warren (1926–2006): A self-taught demonologist and author. He was the only non-clergy member permitted by the Catholic Church to perform exorcisms, though this claim is often disputed. He co-founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) in 1952.
• Lorraine Warren (1927–2019): A professional clairvoyant and medium who claimed to be able to communicate with the spirits they investigated. She was the primary source of the Perron family's story for the film.
• Roger Perron (1930–2022): The family patriarch. He was initially skeptical but eventually accepted the paranormal nature of the events. He passed away in 2022.
• Carolyn Perron (1938–2013): The family matriarch, whose alleged possession is the dramatic climax of the film. She claimed to have been physically attacked by the spirit of Bathsheba. She passed away shortly before the film's release.
• The Five Perron Daughters: Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April. Andrea Perron is the eldest and the author of the book series *House of Darkness, House of Light*, which chronicles their experiences and serves as the primary source material for the film.

7 Current Real-Life Facts That Redefine The Conjuring True Story

The narrative of the Perron family haunting is constantly evolving, thanks to new interviews, property sales, and historical research. Here are the most recent and critical updates as of 2025.

1. The Perron Family Confirms the Movie is "95 Percent Fiction"

The most significant update comes directly from the source. While the Perron family maintains that the farmhouse was genuinely haunted, they have consistently distanced themselves from the movie's extreme dramatization. In recent interviews, eldest daughter Andrea Perron stated that the film is "about 95 percent fiction and about five percent hard truth." The core truth is that the family experienced disturbing, non-violent paranormal encounters for a decade. The ninety-five percent fiction includes:

• No Confirmed Possession: Carolyn Perron was never confirmed to be possessed, nor was there a violent exorcism attempt like the one depicted in the film.
• The Warrens’ Short Visit: The Warrens' involvement was brief—about nine days—and their departure was due to Roger Perron's concern that Lorraine's attempts at a séance were making the situation worse, not better.

2. The Real Bathsheba Sherman Was Not a Satanic Witch

The villain of the film is Bathsheba Sherman, a 19th-century woman accused of witchcraft who allegedly sacrificed her own child to the devil. Modern historical research has largely debunked this sensationalized backstory.

• Innocent Victim: The real Bathsheba Sherman was a farm wife who lived in the house in the mid-1800s. She died of natural causes in 1885 at the age of 73, not by suicide or hanging, as the legend suggests.
• Falsely Accused: There is no documented historical evidence that she was a witch, killed her child, or engaged in Satanic worship. The movie essentially invented a dramatic, demonic backstory for a historical figure.

3. The Real Conjuring House Has a New, High-Profile Owner

The farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island, is a major entity in the story, and its ownership has been a chaotic, newsworthy saga. The property, which was purchased for $1.5 million in 2022, was put up for auction in late 2024. Most recently, popular YouTuber and comedian Elton Castee, known for his paranormal content, assumed the underlying mortgage on the property. This change in ownership ensures the house remains a focus of paranormal investigation and public interest well into 2025, despite the Perron family having moved out decades ago.

4. The Annabelle Doll is Still Locked in a Sacred Case

The infamous Annabelle doll, a Raggedy Ann doll that inspired the franchise's spin-off films, is another key entity in the Warren's history. As of 2025, the doll is still kept in a locked glass case at the Warren Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. While the museum itself has faced legal and zoning issues and is currently closed to the public, the doll occasionally makes appearances. It was recently confirmed to be on a tour stop in New England in early 2025, confirming its continued status as one of the most famous—and allegedly dangerous—occult objects.

5. The Next Film Focuses on the Smurl Haunting

For those looking for the "next chapter" in the *Conjuring* true story, the 2025 film, *The Conjuring: Last Rites*, is based on the 1986 Smurl family haunting in Pennsylvania. This case, also investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren, involved claims of demonic attacks, physical assaults, and even sexual assault by a malevolent entity. This move confirms that the main *Conjuring* franchise is moving beyond the Perron family's story, relying instead on other high-profile, real-life cases from the Warren files.

6. The Debate Over the Warrens’ Credibility Continues

The legacy of Ed and Lorraine Warren remains a contentious entity. While the film franchise portrays them as heroic paranormal investigators, critics and skeptics often label them as charlatans who exploited vulnerable families. Even within the Perron family, there is a debate about the extent to which the Warrens helped. The Warrens’ grandson, Chris McKinnell, has recently spoken out about his grandparents’ work, attempting to keep their legacy alive while acknowledging the controversies that surround their claims of demonology and possession.

7. The Perron Haunting Lasted a Full Decade

One of the key differences between the movie and the true story is the duration of the haunting. The film compresses the events into a terrifying, rapid escalation over a short period. In reality, the Perron family lived in the Harrisville farmhouse for ten years (1971–1980), enduring the strange phenomena until they could finally afford to move out. This long-term, grinding psychological toll—rather than a single, violent climax—is the true horror of the Perron family’s experience. The family was eventually forced to leave due to financial strain, not a climactic exorcism.

The Enduring Legacy of the Harrisville Farmhouse

The original "Conjuring" true story is a powerful mix of genuine family trauma, historical folklore, and Hollywood exaggeration. While the movie is a thrilling piece of entertainment, the real story of the Perron family, the debunked myth of Bathsheba Sherman, and the continuing drama of the house's ownership in 2025 offer a much richer, more nuanced, and ultimately more human look at one of the world's most famous alleged hauntings. The events in Harrisville, Rhode Island, and the files of Ed and Lorraine Warren continue to shape the horror genre, proving that the mystery of the paranormal remains a deep source of public curiosity.