Is “The Deliverance” Based on a True Story? All About the Haunting Events That Inspired the Film

Netflix’s latest horror movie, ‘The Deliverance,’ premiered in August 2024

The horrifying paranormal events depicted in Netflix’s The Deliverance are rooted in reality.

The film, which began streaming on Netflix on Aug. 30, is inspired by the haunting story of Latoya Ammons and her family. In November 2011, the Ammonses moved into a rental home in Gary, Ind. Soon after, strange and frightening things began to occur — Latoya’s mother, Rosa Campbell, saw the shadow of a man pacing their living room and Latoya witnessed her then-12-year-old daughter levitating above a bed.

The family sought religious counsel and advice from clairvoyants who claimed that more than 200 demons or spirits controlled the Carolina Street home. Latoya later reported that demonic forces had possessed her and her three children.

The Deliverance, which stars Andra Day and Glenn Close as characters inspired by Latoya and Rosa, respectively, marks director Lee Daniels’ first and last horror flick. From the beginning, he was hesitant to take on the story and so was his mother, who worried he might become cursed.

“Listen, I read those books about the making of Poltergeist (1982) and the making of The Exorcist (1973). And I’m like, ‘Nope, not today, Satan,’ ” Daniels told Variety in August 2024, referring to the unusual problems that arose on the set of the two films. “We prayed every day. Most of the 200 or so crew knew that they wanted to be protected. They clearly read the same books that I had.”

Here's everything to know about the real events that inspired The Deliverance.

Is The Deliverance based on a true story?

Yes. The Deliverance is inspired by the true story of Latoya Ammons and her family who lived in a haunted Indiana home.

According to the IndyStar, Latoya moved into the Gary, Ind., home in November 2011 with her three children, daughter Airion, 12, son Andrew, 9, and son Armani, 7. They were also joined by Latoya’s mother, Rosa. Shortly after moving in, the family allegedly began experiencing the supernatural: At first, it was a swarm of big black flies in the dead of winter and the eerie sound of footsteps climbing the basement stairs.

Then, things took a scary turn on March 10, 2012, when Latoya’s daughter was reportedly seen levitating above her bed. After Airion had descended, she woke up and had no memory of the event. This prompted Latoya to seek help from a local church. They recommended cleaning the home with bleach and ammonia and using oil to draw crosses on every door and window. Latoya also poured olive oil on her children.

Two clairvoyants encouraged Latoya to move out of the house, but that wasn’t financially feasible for the family at the time. Instead, she created an altar in the basement, displaying a white candle; statues of Mary, Joseph and Jesus; and a Bible — open to Psalm 91 (a passage about God’s protection) — Latoya told the IndyStar.

According to Latoya, the shrine to God seemingly made the spirits angry. Three days later, Latoya and her children reported being possessed. Meanwhile, Rosa claimed the demons left her alone because she was born with protection from evil.

On April 19, 2012, the family visited their physician, Dr. Geoffrey Onyeukwu, seeking answers. According to a Department of Child Services (DCS) report, Latoya’s sons cursed Onyeukwu in "demonic voices," per the IndyStar, and family case manager Valerie Washington claimed she witnessed Andrew walk backward up a wall to the ceiling. DCS immediately took custody of the three children so they could investigate Latoya for child abuse or neglect.

Latoya and Rosa left the Carolina Street home at the urging of Reverend Michael Maginot, who also claimed he witnessed demonic activity while visiting the residence. In June 2012, he performed three major exorcisms on Latoya — one of which was done in Latin.

"I was hurting all over from the inside out," Latoya told the IndyStar in January 2014, adding that the exorcisms felt as intense as giving birth.

She and Rosa never returned to the home, instead, they moved to Indianapolis and were eventually reunited with Latoya’s children in November 2012.

"It was just awesome," the mom of three told the IndyStar of seeing her kids again. "I hadn't been that happy in God knows how long."

What is The Deliverance about?

The Deliverance follows struggling single mother Ebony Jackson (Day) as she and her family move into a new home, only to discover “strange, demonic occurrences that convince them and their community that the house is a portal to hell.”

Ebony’s mother Alberta (Close) initially believes her daughter has gone back to her alcoholic ways and is abusing her three children (played by Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin, Anthony Jenkins and Demi Singleton). Social worker Cynthia Henry (Mo’Nique) gets involved but it soon becomes clear that demonic forces are at work.

Director Daniels said he did his best to “distance the film from the true story” by changing the character names and setting the story in Pittsburgh, rather than Gary.

“I made [Ebony’s] mother White because I have so many mixed-race friends and [I wanted to talk about] what it’s like to have a white mother and live in a Black girl’s body,” he explained to The Hollywood Reporter.

Daniels also decided to cast a woman to play the part of the “deliverance person” who performs the exorcisms.

“There are so many women that do this work that don’t get recognized,” he added.

Where are Latoya Ammons and her children now?

Latoya has kept her life relatively private since her family’s traumatic experience in Gary. However, she did speak with director Daniels “once or twice” while he was working on The Deliverance.

“I purposely didn’t want to meet her because I was nervous. But I spoke to her,” Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s lovely. She was at peace."

While little is known about Latoya's three children, her son Armani, reportedly died in 2021 at age 17.

What happened to the Ammons' home on Carolina Street?

The haunted Carolina Street home was originally owned by Charles Reed, who told the IndyStar that there were never any issues before or after the Ammons family lived there. However, he did admit he was “less skeptical” once he heard about the Catholic Church’s involvement.

In 2014, host and executive producer of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures Zak Bagans purchased the home for $35,000. He had the property demolished in 2016.

“Something was inside that house that had the ability to do things that I have never seen before — things that others carrying the highest forms of credibility couldn't explain either," Bagans told the IndyStar. "There was something there that was very dark yet highly intelligent and powerful."

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