'Barney bashing' turned into a national pastime with organized events and clubs such as 'The Jihad to Destroy Barney,' which was an online forum 'dedicated to defamation, humiliation, eradication, killing, and removal of Barney the Purple Dinosaur. from every human's life.'īut the saddest fate was saved for Sheryl Leach and her son Patrick, whom the show was originally inspired by in 1988 when Sheryl recognized a need for content to occupy her rambunctious two-year-old.Īs it turns out, no amount of fame, fortune, and Barney's 'great big hugs' could save the Leach family from scandal and upset behind the scenes in fact, the family was rocked by a stunning divorce, followed by a suicide, and then later, Patrick's 2013 arrest for shooting his neighbor. 'They were going to come and find me, and they were going to kill me.' Those who worked on the show found themselves on the receiving end of savage threats: 'They were violent and explicit, death and dismemberment of my family,' said Bob West, who was the original voice of Barney. Another pernicious rumor alleged that he was a sexual predator, and that the actor behind the purple character had hung himself in his suit. One conspiracy alleged that the actor inside of the suit hid drugs in his tail, and would do lines of coke in between takes. Its creator, a small town housewife from Texas named Sheryl Leach, told a talk show at the time: 'He's become, at least in popularity, on the level of Elvis for the pre-school set.'īut as new Peacock docuseries - 'I Love You, You Hate Me' - details, cracks began to appear in the incessantly-optimistic world of the beloved T-Rex with a radiant Colgate smile. Adults found him insufferable, and Barney became a catalyst for hate and the subject of vitriolic gossip. ![]() But not all was perfect in the preternaturally positive world of Barney, and soon he became the ire of parents and adults world wide It grew into an global sensation, featured in over 225 countries that spawned a cottage industry of toys, merchandise, and live public performances that pulled in tens of thousands of frenzied nursery school fans. 'Barney & Friends' captivated children for 14 seasons between 19.
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