Constance Hatchaway: The history of the Haunted Mansion's Black Widow Bride

Haunted Mansion - Courtesy Walt Disney
Haunted Mansion - Courtesy Walt Disney /
facebooktwitterreddit

Disney's Haunted Mansion movie is set to release later this month in theaters. Based on the famed Disney attraction, the upcoming film features all sorts of nods and references, including one seen that appears to show The Black Widow Bride.

In the previously released teaser trailer for the movie, we see the bride appear multiple times within the first minute. We see her briefly in human form at the (0:09) timestamp and then again in her ghostly form at (0:15). She then scares the poop out of us again at (0:29). So who is this bride and does she have a name?

Of the 999 haunts that populate the Haunted Mansion, this killer bride is one of the most iconic and memorable. She's found in the attic portion of the attraction which we see all of her late husbands whom she presumably axed to death.

Does the Black Widow Bride have a name?

As it turns out, this killer bride has a name, and it's Constance Hatchaway. Get it? Because she sends her husbands away (six feet under) with a hatchet.

As the story goes, Constance Hatchaway was a beautiful young woman who sought wealth and luxury. In order to obtain this lifestyle, she married several rich men and proceeded to murder them the night of their wedding so that she could claim their inheritance. Although she was never punished for her crimes, she was labeled by the general public as "The Black Widow Bride."

No one knows exactly how Constance herself passed away, though it's assumed old age. Upon death, she became a permanent resident in the mansion's attic.

Anyway, Constance Hatchaway appears in both the Disneyland and Disney World versions of Haunted Mansion. In 2006, she received a glow-up alongside the attic area itself. The redesign is more representative of her dark history.

You'll be able to catch a glimpse of Constance Hatchaway in the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie, which hits theaters July 28.