BOSTON (WPRI) — Jacqueline Nuñez says for decades she's been actively involved in the spiritual world, interacting with energy and channeling messages between the living and dead.

The experience led the Boston attorney in 2022 to purchase the Old Arnold Estate in Burrillville, a historic home made famous by the supernatural horror movie "The Conjuring." She's since formed a business for people to come visit, stay, ghost hunt and try to communicate with spirits.

"When I saw it was available, I knew instantly I was going to own it," Nuñez told Target 12 during an exclusive interview last week at her Boston home. (Nuñez said she was also trying to buy Lizzie Borden's "Maplecroft" Mansion in Fall River around the same time.)

Business was going great, she said, but things started to unravel in July when she fired her manager, saying the spirit of John Arnold, who owned the home in the 1800s, told her the employee was stealing.

"I did get a message from John Arnold from the 1800s," she said. "I also have records of merchandise and stuff, and know that he stole."

The story drew attention, scrutiny and criticism from people across the world, fueling an online frenzy that Nuñez said has since made her a target of hate, slander, retaliation and government oppression, which has damaged her reputation and business. The criticism became amplified after she engaged in multiple disputes with former employees, a TV star and town officials.

"My reputation and my business have been destroyed — temporarily destroyed," she said.

Nuñez is now speaking out against the criticism, saying she's hopeful that by sharing her story she can give people a different perspective on her and what's happened. She lost her business entertainment license this month after Burrillville town officials voted not to renew it, citing concerns over safety and her actions.

"People deserve an opportunity to come to a site like ours where they can really experience this kind of energy," she said.

But Nuñez was also quick to downplay any accountability for her own actions over the past five months, including getting arrested for drunk driving in October and being accused of threatening and harassing former employees and the family of Jason Hawes, star of the hit SyFy series "GhostHunters."

"I haven't done anything," she said. "I've just been running my business."

Hawes, who lives in Rhode Island, disagrees and he filed a police report this fall, alleging she accused him of trying to assassinate her. Hawes received a no-contact order against Nuñez, saying she also sent threatening text messages and emails to him and his family.

"She's still been sending me messages, even though we've gotten the no-contact order and no-trespass order," Hawes said last month outside Burrillville Town Hall. "She's violated it and she just continues to violate it."

Nuñez acknowledged that she could have had "a slightly different tone" with some of her texts and emails, but she accused Hawes of fueling hate toward her. She's now threatening to file lawsuits against him, former employees and Burrillville. She said the town is guilty of "governmental oppression."

"As the lawsuits come out, all of this evidence will come out about how they have just blatantly violated my constitutional protections," Nuñez said.

Burrillville town manager Michael Wood has pushed back, saying Nuñez runs a 24-hour business in a residential neighborhood. The business, he said, "can be disruptive to neighbors, and it draws curious people at all hours of the day and night."

He also accused Nuñez of being "difficult, uncooperative and aggressive throughout the licensing process."

"The town is always willing to work with applicants for various licenses, but in this case, the
relationship has deteriorated such that the town is taking steps to protect its interests as well
as those of the neighbors in the vicinity of The Conjuring house," Wood said in a statement.

Nuñez said she feels like the town is singling out and discriminating against her business because it's tied to the paranormal community, comparing the move to the violation of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

"They can't not allow a business because they don't like that it's paranormal," she said. "That would be like me saying, 'I don't drink, therefore I don't want there to be any liquor stores.'"

Despite her license expiring at the end of November, Nuñez said she has no intention of shutting down operations this month because people have already booked tours and some are traveling from out of the country. She's unwilling to cancel on them, she said.

"That is just cruel and retaliatory," Nuñez said.

Moving forward, Nuñez said she wants to work toward getting her license back so she can resume operations and people can continue to visit the home, which she described as "a very special place."

"This is about a very paranormal active place," she said. "I have so much evidence that really proves this stuff is true — I have so much evidence. People deserve to access it, right?"

If she can't get her license back, Nuñez said she has no intention of selling the home.

"There are people that want me to sell. I'm never selling," she said. "If I don't run a business, I still have a great house."