For the past 30 years, real-life vampire Julia Caples has been regularly consuming human blood. Her donors are fellow vampire enthusiasts she meets at her local oddities store, who allow her to suck the blood right from their bodies.

Julia Caples fascination with drinking blood started when she was just 15 years old. During her first kiss, she got the urge to bite her boyfriend. “It was my natural instinct and I liked the taste. I just got an urge and can’t really explain it. It’s never gone away,” she said in an interview with Barcroft Media. “Needless to say though, he never kissed me again.” The experience definitely sparked her interest in human blood, but she only went crazy for it after meeting her now ex-husband Donald, who shared her passion for vampires and goth lifestyle. They got married in a graveyard, and after saying their vows, they consecrated their love for each other by sharing blood. But when their son Alexi was born, Julia and Donald decided one of them had to stop playing vampire to ensure he had a balanced upbringing. It was Donald who quit drinking blood, so Julia wouldn’t have to. Although they are no longer together, Donald told the press Julia is an amazing mother who would never let her bizarre habits come between her and the kids.

Photo: Julia Caples/Facebook

Julia, who also goes by the nickname Dark Rose, says she meets some of her donors online, but makes it clear that she has to meet them in person before sucking their blood. They all have to get their blood tested to make sure they’re not carrying any kind of blood disease. Medical experts say there has been a resurgence of vampirism lately, and Julia herself confirms there are more people secretly drinking blood than anyone can imagine. “When I feed off of a person and drink their blood I feel stronger and healthier,” she says. “I know scientifically there’s not a lot nutrition in blood, but maybe there’s some value we haven’t discovered yet.” Drinking blood makes Caples feel beautiful and full of energy, and she believes her aging process is much slower than in people who don’t drink blood.

Photo: Julia Caples/Facebook

Her bizarre habit has made Julia very popular with vampire fans around the world, but it has also affected her relationship with her children. Her 24-year-old daughter, Ariel, doesn’t approve of her ways and says that by drinking the blood of others she is by definition a “leech and a parasite”. Caples doesn’t agree, because all of her “victims” want her to do it. Her son Alexi, who is only 11, is disturbed by all the coffins and gothic decorations they have in the house, and said he is beginning to suspect his mother is a vampire. Despite all these problems and the potential health risks, Julia Caples isn’t considering giving up blood sucking.

If you want to see this real-life vampire in action, check out Barcroft TV’s video report on YouTube. I personally thought it was too disturbing to post here.