The Dear David story is one of the most well-known internet horror tales of the modern era. It first appeared on Twitter in 2017, when illustrator Adam Ellis began sharing terrifying experiences of a supposed ghost haunting his apartment. His chilling accounts, paired with eerie images and videos, quickly captivated social media audiences worldwide. The David story became a viral sensation, sparking debates over whether it was a genuine haunting or an elaborate fictional experiment.
Who is Adam Ellis?
Adam Ellis is an American illustrator, writer, and former BuzzFeed employee best known for his viral Dear David story. Before gaining fame through this internet horror phenomenon, Ellis was primarily recognized for his humorous comics and illustrations, which he frequently shared on social media. Ellis started his career as a comic artist and writer, creating lighthearted and relatable webcomics. His work often revolved around pop culture, daily life struggles, and quirky observations. He gained a loyal following online and later joined BuzzFeed, where he worked as a content creator, producing illustrations and humorous articles.
How the Dear David Story Began
Adam Ellis first spoke about his experiences in August 2017. He reported suffering from sleep paralysis, during which he saw a young ghostly figure with a misshapen head sitting in a green rocking chair at the foot of his bed. Ellis detailed a strange dream in which an unknown girl told him about Dear David, a child who had died under mysterious circumstances.
According to Ellis’s dream:
- Dear David only appears at midnight.
- You can ask him two questions, but they must start with “Dear David.”
- If you ask a third question, David will become angry and attack you.
Ellis recalled accidentally breaking this rule. He asked Dear David how he died and who killed him, but then asked a third question: “Who hit you on the head?” After this, the hauntings became worse.
Strange Occurrences and Eerie Evidence
Ellis continued updating Twitter with strange happenings in his apartment. He documented these incidents using photos, videos, and sound recordings, adding credibility to his claims.
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| August 2017 | Ellis’s cats started gathering at his apartment door at midnight, staring and meowing as if something was on the other side. |
| September 2017 | Using a Polaroid camera, Ellis took photos of his hallway. While his apartment looked normal, the hallway appeared completely black in the photos, as if an unseen presence was blocking the light. |
| November 2017 | Ellis shared disturbing pictures of what he claimed was Dear David standing near his bed while he slept. The images showed a small, childlike figure with a caved-in head. |
Many Twitter users were horrified by the evidence, while others speculated that the David story was an elaborate hoax.
Skepticism and Internet Reactions
The Dear David story quickly became an internet phenomenon, with millions of followers waiting for updates. Some believed Ellis’s haunting was real, while others dismissed it as a well-crafted horror story designed for social media engagement.
Skeptics pointed out:
- Some of Ellis’s photos seemed staged.
- The timing of his tweets felt too structured, like a marketing campaign.
- A movie deal was announced later, raising suspicions that the story was merely promotional material.
Despite the skepticism, Ellis insisted that he was simply documenting what he was experiencing.
The Movie Adaptation of Dear David
The success of the Dear David story led to the creation of a horror movie adaptation. In 2023, Lionsgate released Dear David, directed by John McPhail. The film dramatized Ellis’s experiences while also exploring themes of internet fame, online harassment, and paranoia.
Comparing the Story and Movie
| Aspect | Twitter Story | Movie Adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Main Focus | Paranormal events experienced by Ellis in real-time. | A fictionalized version of Ellis’s experiences, adding new horror elements. |
| Tone | Personal and interactive, with followers reacting in real time. | Traditional horror with suspense and jump scares. |
| Ending | Open-ended, with Ellis eventually stopping updates. | A full horror narrative with a conclusion. |
The Legacy of the Dear David Story
The Dear David story remains one of the most talked-about internet horror tales. Whether people believe in ghosts or not, Ellis’s use of social media storytelling, multimedia evidence, and real-time engagement changed how horror stories are shared online.
The story inspired creepy Twitter threads, fan theories, and even academic discussions on digital storytelling. It also raised the question: Can a well-crafted internet horror tale be as impactful as a traditional ghost story?
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First Encounter with Dear David
The Dear David story began when Adam Ellis experienced sleep paralysis, a condition where a person is temporarily unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. During one of these episodes, Ellis saw a small child sitting in a green rocking chair in his bedroom. The child had an abnormally dented head, which made him appear unsettling.
A few nights later, Ellis had a strange dream, where a girl appeared and warned him about the ghostly figure. She called him Dear David and explained that he was the spirit of a child who had died tragically. She also mentioned a strict rule:
- Dear David only allows two questions to be asked.
- If you ask a third question, he gets angry and will harm you.
Despite this warning, Ellis later dreamed of David again and, out of curiosity, asked a third question: Who hit you on the head? That was the moment when things started to take a terrifying turn.
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Creepy Events Start to Unfold
After Ellis unknowingly broke the rule, strange things began happening in his apartment. His cats started gathering at the front door at midnight, meowing as if sensing something on the other side. Ellis also noticed:
- Mysterious scratches and thumps coming from his apartment.
- Objects moving on their own in his room.
- A shadowy figure appearing in the hallway.
To prove that he wasn’t imagining things, Ellis started taking pictures and videos. One of the most disturbing moments was when he used a Polaroid camera to take photos of his hallway. Every photo came out completely black, as if something was blocking the light.
Ellis set up cameras to record at night. The footage captured chairs rocking on their own, lights flickering, and objects falling without explanation. Eventually, Ellis captured a terrifying image of Dear David himself, appearing as a child-like figure standing beside his bed while he slept.
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Social Media Reacts to the Haunting
As the Dear David story unfolded in real-time, millions of people followed Ellis’s Twitter updates, eager to see what would happen next. Some users analyzed his photos and videos, trying to debunk or confirm the supernatural claims.
Many believed that Ellis was genuinely experiencing a haunting, while skeptics argued that it was an elaborate internet hoax. Some pointed out that his storytelling felt too structured, like a carefully crafted horror novel. Others, however, insisted that the photographic evidence was too chilling to ignore.
As more updates came, discussions spread across Reddit, YouTube, and news articles, with ghost hunters, horror enthusiasts, and debunkers all giving their theories. Some even suggested that Dear David might be a marketing strategy for a future movie—and they were right.
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Conclusion
The Dear David story became one of the most famous internet horror tales, blending real-time storytelling with multimedia elements. Whether it was a real haunting or a brilliantly executed horror story, it captured the internet’s imagination like never before.
In 2023, the story was turned into a horror movie, further blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Even today, people still discuss the David story, debating its authenticity and analyzing the eerie images Ellis shared.
Was Dear David a real ghost haunting Adam Ellis? Or was it a masterfully told internet horror experiment? That’s for the audience to decide. Either way, it remains a modern-day ghost story that left a lasting impact on digital storytelling and horror culture.
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