Ghost Whisperer Reveals Why Wives Ask Her to Hug Their Husbands (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Mary Ann Winkowski.Photo:Anna Maria Ciresi

Anna Maria Ciresi

Mary Ann Winkowski spent her life as a full-time paranormal investigator, telling PEOPLE she helps earthbound spirits trapped on earth“My grandmother would take me to funerals when I was four," she says. “I’m going to be 77, so I’ve been doing this a long time"As for the stories she’s picked up while nudging reluctant ghosts along to the afterlife, well, Winkowski has seen a thing or twoIt’s no surprise thatHalloweenis the busy season for ghost whisperer Mary Ann Winkowski.“I’m the Halloween Queen,” Winkowski, 76, tells PEOPLE.In addition to being a devout Catholic and typical suburbanite — who has been married for decades to her husband Ted and is the mother of two daughters, age 55 and 52 — Winkowski also happens to have spent her life as a full-time paranormal investigator. She says she sees earthbound spirits trapped on earth, and eases them “into the light.”Her spectral exploits led her to serve as a consultant for the television seriesGhost WhispererstarringJennifer Love Hewittand she’s written a number of books, includingWhen Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits.“My grandmother would take me to funerals when I was four,” she says. “I’m going to be 77, so I’ve been doing this a long time.“The recently retired Winkowski — who says she can’t touch computers or even a cellphone without ghosts breaking the devices (and she wears rubber gloves when handling technology) — knows she’ll never be completely out of the ghost biz.She still does some home visits, but mostly just video.“I only tell people if I see ghosts in their house if they ask me,” she adds.Jennifer Love Hewitt, left, with Mary Ann Winkowski on the set of Ghost Whisperer.Cliff Lipson / CBS / Courtesy EverettAs for the stories she’s picked up while nudging reluctant ghosts along to the afterlife, well, Winkowski has seen a thing or two.On one occasion, she says a man called her because he thought his deceased mom was haunting him after she didn’t get the funeral she wanted.Once she was at the house, Winkowski says she saw his mom standing there, wearing a green velour tracksuit. Then, the woman, who had died 7 months earlier, started telling Winkowski, “I’m here! I’m here!”“I’m not a psychic, but I knew her body was still in the house,” Winkowski recalls thinking at the time. “She says ‘Are you going to get my body out of here?’ ‘’Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Not personally, Winkowski told her. But she’d get someone out there for sure. And as the woman decided to go into the light, Winkowski said the woman claimed her son was “stealing my social security check every month.”“I told her I would take care of that,” Winkowski says, adding she quickly left the house with her husband and called the police.Winkowski says cops ended up finding the woman’s body upstairs in a plastic garbage bag tied with duct tape. Fortunately, she says the woman died of natural causes. As for her son? Winkowski claims police did get him for the social security fraud and abuse of a corpse.However, when it comes to work, Winkowski doesn’t like dealing with missing children cases.“If I’m talking to you and I see your 8-year-old daughter standing behind you, she’s dead,” Winkowski says. “Is that what you want me to tell you?”On the other hand, she loves talking to children about their experiences with ghosts.She remembers once going to a house because a dad was concerned about his young son who said he was talking to his grandfather, who died before the boy was born.“I told him your dad doesn’t understand about the cork,” Winkowski says.The boy explained how his grandfather had taught him how to fish with a cork, something his dad had never learned and always regretted. “Kids are wonderful. They can see their angels,” Winkowski says. “I told them to find me an old album and he pointed to a picture of his grandfather and he’d never seen a photo of him before.”On left, Mary Ann Winkowski with husband Ted on right.Anna Maria CiresiAnother thing to know about ghosts? You never know what’ll you learn from them, Winkowski says.Winkowski says that once, a wife called because she thought her house was haunted, but her husband wasn’t happy about that, and confronted Winkowski about being a fake and getting her intel from a computer.As she left, Winkowski coerced the husband into a hug, and whispered in his ear: “Carol, in your wife’s bed, shame on you.”She says that during the visit, the ghost told her the man was sleeping with his wife’s best friend.Although Winkowski says she got the spectral intel before the embrace, that hasn’t stopped other women who hear the story from asking if she can give their husbands a hug too. “People don’t pay attention,” she quips. “I’m not psychic.“The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!AlthoughWinkowski says she usually makes a point not to tell people their homes are being haunted without being asked, for this writer, she made an exception.“I have to tell you, you haven’t asked, but there is a ghost in your house, just so you know,” she says as our interview was winding down. Although the name she drops didn’t ring any bells, a neighbor later tells me that the man she named did previously live in the house, although he died elsewhere.Still, in the spirit of the season, we’ll be busting out the smudge stick and taking some salt water soaks, per Winkowski’show to get rid of a ghost tip sheet. We’ll also direct the man to the nearest spot where a funeral viewing might allow him to walk into the light.After all, you can never be too careful this time of year.

It’s no surprise thatHalloweenis the busy season for ghost whisperer Mary Ann Winkowski.

“I’m the Halloween Queen,” Winkowski, 76, tells PEOPLE.

In addition to being a devout Catholic and typical suburbanite — who has been married for decades to her husband Ted and is the mother of two daughters, age 55 and 52 — Winkowski also happens to have spent her life as a full-time paranormal investigator. She says she sees earthbound spirits trapped on earth, and eases them “into the light.”

Her spectral exploits led her to serve as a consultant for the television seriesGhost WhispererstarringJennifer Love Hewittand she’s written a number of books, includingWhen Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits.

“My grandmother would take me to funerals when I was four,” she says. “I’m going to be 77, so I’ve been doing this a long time.”

The recently retired Winkowski — who says she can’t touch computers or even a cellphone without ghosts breaking the devices (and she wears rubber gloves when handling technology) — knows she’ll never be completely out of the ghost biz.

She still does some home visits, but mostly just video.

“I only tell people if I see ghosts in their house if they ask me,” she adds.

Jennifer Love Hewitt, left, with Mary Ann Winkowski on the set of Ghost Whisperer.Cliff Lipson / CBS / Courtesy Everett

Cliff Lipson / CBS / Courtesy Everett

As for the stories she’s picked up while nudging reluctant ghosts along to the afterlife, well, Winkowski has seen a thing or two.

On one occasion, she says a man called her because he thought his deceased mom was haunting him after she didn’t get the funeral she wanted.

Once she was at the house, Winkowski says she saw his mom standing there, wearing a green velour tracksuit. Then, the woman, who had died 7 months earlier, started telling Winkowski, “I’m here! I’m here!”

“I’m not a psychic, but I knew her body was still in the house,” Winkowski recalls thinking at the time. “She says ‘Are you going to get my body out of here?’ ‘’

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Not personally, Winkowski told her. But she’d get someone out there for sure. And as the woman decided to go into the light, Winkowski said the woman claimed her son was “stealing my social security check every month.”

“I told her I would take care of that,” Winkowski says, adding she quickly left the house with her husband and called the police.

Winkowski says cops ended up finding the woman’s body upstairs in a plastic garbage bag tied with duct tape. Fortunately, she says the woman died of natural causes. As for her son? Winkowski claims police did get him for the social security fraud and abuse of a corpse.

However, when it comes to work, Winkowski doesn’t like dealing with missing children cases.

“If I’m talking to you and I see your 8-year-old daughter standing behind you, she’s dead,” Winkowski says. “Is that what you want me to tell you?”

On the other hand, she loves talking to children about their experiences with ghosts.

She remembers once going to a house because a dad was concerned about his young son who said he was talking to his grandfather, who died before the boy was born.

“I told him your dad doesn’t understand about the cork,” Winkowski says.

The boy explained how his grandfather had taught him how to fish with a cork, something his dad had never learned and always regretted. “Kids are wonderful. They can see their angels,” Winkowski says. “I told them to find me an old album and he pointed to a picture of his grandfather and he’d never seen a photo of him before.”

On left, Mary Ann Winkowski with husband Ted on right.Anna Maria Ciresi

Another thing to know about ghosts? You never know what’ll you learn from them, Winkowski says.

Winkowski says that once, a wife called because she thought her house was haunted, but her husband wasn’t happy about that, and confronted Winkowski about being a fake and getting her intel from a computer.

As she left, Winkowski coerced the husband into a hug, and whispered in his ear: “Carol, in your wife’s bed, shame on you.”

She says that during the visit, the ghost told her the man was sleeping with his wife’s best friend.

Although Winkowski says she got the spectral intel before the embrace, that hasn’t stopped other women who hear the story from asking if she can give their husbands a hug too. “People don’t pay attention,” she quips. “I’m not psychic.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

AlthoughWinkowski says she usually makes a point not to tell people their homes are being haunted without being asked, for this writer, she made an exception.

“I have to tell you, you haven’t asked, but there is a ghost in your house, just so you know,” she says as our interview was winding down. Although the name she drops didn’t ring any bells, a neighbor later tells me that the man she named did previously live in the house, although he died elsewhere.

Still, in the spirit of the season, we’ll be busting out the smudge stick and taking some salt water soaks, per Winkowski’show to get rid of a ghost tip sheet. We’ll also direct the man to the nearest spot where a funeral viewing might allow him to walk into the light.

After all, you can never be too careful this time of year.

source: people.com