Barney, the big purple dinosaur, was a children’s TV staple in the 1990s. However, his motto was “I love you,”Not everyone loves him back.
A new docuseries is exploring the disturbing dark side surrounding the beloved children’s character.
“It wasn’t Barney himself who had a dark side. It was just society that had a dark side. The documentary talks about the folks who had negative reactions to the show and to the character,”Bob West, Barney’s original voice, spoke to Inside Edition.
West claims that he received death threats from some people.
“There was a group called the ‘Jihad Against Barney.’ Barney was their evil villain,”West stated.
Stuffed Barney toys were hacked to bits, burned and even hung.
The documentary also examines Sheryl Leach’s personal drama as Barney creator. Patrick, Patrick’s 27-year-old brother, was sentenced to 15 year imprisonment in 2015 for shooting a man in their chest during a dispute over a neighbor.
West believes that the Barney backlash was actually a reaction to his innocence as a child.
“Barney stood for, and still stands for, inclusion and understanding and compassion and caring for each other,”West stated.
“I Love You, You Hate Me” begins streaming Wednesday on NBC’s Peacock.