Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s horror film ‘The Deliverance’ revolves around Andre, a young boy possessed by a demonic entity later recognized as Trey, the spirit of a man who once lived in the former’s house. The youngest son of Ebony serves as a window to the family for the demon, as it eventually affects Nate and Shante, the boy’s siblings. When the mother realizes that she cannot help her child on her own, she seeks the help of Bernice James, an apostle who previously tried to save Trey from demonic possession. The supernatural thriller is partially based on the true story of Latoya Ammons. However, there are several differences between Andre and Ammons’ youngest son! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Andre is the Fictional Counterpart to Latoya Ammons’ Youngest Son, Armani
David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum, who wrote ‘The Deliverance,’ did not completely rely on Latoya Ammons’ real-life experiences to create the horror thriller’s characters, especially Andre. He is drastically different from Armani Ammons, Latoya’s youngest son. The supernatural movie presents Andre as the gateway through which the demon enters the Jackson family. His nocturnal basement visits allow Trey to possess him, and using the young boy, the demon targets Nate and Shante. In reality, however, Armani was not the first person to display any alleged paranormal behavior. Ammons and her family confronted the supposed demonic presence in her house when her 12-year-old daughter allegedly levitated above her bed in March 2012.
It does not mean that Andre and Armani do not share any similarities. Like the fictionalized character, the latter also had bulging eyes, a deepened voice, and an apparently “evil” smile. Andre’s conversations with an invisible presence are also based on Armani’s experiences. However, Ammons’ son nearly did not get killed by his older brother in the alleged haunted house’s bathroom, as the film depicts with Andre and his elder sibling, Nate. Instead, according to his grandmother, Rosa Campbell, the then-7-year-old kid “flew” out of the bathroom as if someone had thrown him out of the room.
Armani Ammons Displayed Alleged Paranormal Behavior in 2012
A similar incident happened again when Latoya Ammons and her family visited a physician named Dr. Geoffrey Onyeukwu in April 2012. According to a report by the Department of Child Services (DCS), the doctor’s staff saw Armani Ammons “lifted and thrown into the wall with nobody touching him.” As per Rosa Campbell, he also cursed the doctor in a demonic voice before passing out with his elder brother. The two of them were taken by the police officers and paramedics to Methodist Hospital in Gary, Indiana. When Armani regained consciousness in the hospital, he screamed, scaring his grandmother. In the film, when Cynthia Henry examines the kids for the DCS, she finds bruises on their bodies. However, such bruises were not found on Armani after he was hospitalized.
In reality, Nate’s attempt to kill Andre happened with roles reversed after Armani was hospitalized with his brother. The seven-year-old “locked his hands around his older brother’s throat and refused to let go until adults pried his hands open,” as per Marisa Kwiatkowski’s interview with Ammons and Campbell for The Indianapolis Star. “It’s time to die. I will kill you,” he told his sibling, according to the same interview. In one of the chilling scenes in Lee Daniels’ film, Andre walks back into a wall to the ceiling with supernatural abilities. In real life, the one who did this was not Armani but his older brother.
Armani Ammons Never Underwent an Exorcism in Real Life
Similarly, the horror thriller ends with a series of fictional developments. In the climax, Bernice James performs a deliverance on Andre to free him from Trey’s clutches. As the ritual progresses, the apostle dies, and Ebony continues to perform the same to save her son from the demon. In reality, Armani Ammons was never exorcised. After his hospitalization and his eighth birthday, the DCS sent him to Christian Haven in Wheatfield, Indiana, for a psychological evaluation. “This appears to be an unfortunate and sad case of a child who has been induced into a delusional system perpetuated by his mother,” wrote his psychologist, Stacy Wright, in her evaluation, as per Marisa Kwiatkowski’s The Indianapolis Star feature.
Even though Latoya Ammons sought the help of Reverend Michael Maginot, like how Ebony meets Bernice, the priest did not perform an exorcism on Armani since he was under the DCS’ custody. He then conducted the ritual on Ammons mainly three times in June 2012. David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum’s screenplay differs from reality because the film’s creative heads wanted it to be a faith-based film in which the protagonist finds God. “I realized [Ebony] had found her higher power. She had found Jesus, and that’s how she was able to take down the demon that was in the house,” Lee Daniels told IndieWire.
For Daniels, ‘The Deliverance’ is a film about finding a higher power. “This is not just a horror movie, but a faith-based thriller where you’re forced to, whether it’s Jesus or Allah or Buddha, whether it’s loving yourself and your higher power, find that. At any given moment, we could be gone. The nuclear war could happen,” the filmmaker added. Therefore, Coggeshall and Bynum made Ebony the person who does the exorcism on Andre to save her child rather than the subject of the ritual, as in Ammons’ case. After the exorcism and a short wait, the real-life mother reunited with Armani and her other children in November 2012.
Armani Ammons Passed Away at the Age of 17
After Latoya Ammons regained Armani Ammons and his siblings’ custody, the youngest child started living in Indianapolis, Indiana. He joined the New Life Worship Center and attended the Indiana Digital Learning Center as a student. While not spending time with his family, Armani played basketball. Little Caesars and Wendy’s also employed him while he was studying in high school. On October 8, 2021, at the age of 17, Armani passed away “in his mother’s arms while she prayed for him,” as per his obituary. The family hasn’t revealed the cause of death to the public.
“[Armani] was a very loving child who showed love and consideration for others. Always willing to help those who were in need or less fortunate,” further reads his obituary. He is survived by Ammons, Rosa Campbell, his father, his two siblings, and several other relatives. Armani’s mother shielded him throughout his life. She tried her best to safeguard him from the overwhelming spotlight she ended up in after sharing her real-life story with the rest of the world. Ammons continues to live with the memories of her son, who departed from this world untimely.
Read More: The Deliverance: Where Was the Netflix Movie Filmed?
