In the nonfiction version of Annabelle, there were two nurses living together in Hartford, Connecticut. One of the nurses was gifted the Raggedy Ann doll by her mother in 1970. Spera believes the mother purchased the doll from a second-hand store.

Nothing about the story in Annabelle is based on real events  John and Mia are fictional characters. The films are, however, based on the real Annabelle doll, a normal-looking Raggedy Ann Doll with no porcelain, like in the film.