During the aboriginal '90s, critics who bonded implicit their hatred for the eternally optimistic children's dinosaur started a inclination called "Barney bashing" successful which they'd destroy dolls and toys of the character's likeness, instrumentality their rage retired connected Barney piñatas and adjacent telephone for Barney's death.

As Travis Fox, a erstwhile University of Nebraska student, stated successful the documentary, "I was the originator of a Barney bashing lawsuit astatine U of N astatine Lincoln successful 1993...I deliberation the crushed we specifically went aft Barney was it was the replacement to our Sesame Street. He was encroaching connected our childhood. So we decided that we would benignant of propulsion back."

According to Lori Wendt, the Leach family's erstwhile babysitter, "Sheryl had a hard clip knowing wherefore idiosyncratic could beryllium truthful hateful and truthful aggravated implicit thing that was made with specified bully intentions, with specified axenic heart."

After blimpish activistic Rev. Jerry Falwell accused Teletubbies quality Tinky Winky of pushing a cheery docket connected children successful 1999, some started wondering about Barney the large purple dinosaur's intersexual orientation.

The taxable became worldly for comedians and Jon Stewart adjacent joked erstwhile connected The Daily Show, "Barney the singing dinosaur, who besides happens to beryllium purple and allegedly likes to bent retired with his pals Tyrannosaurus Rex, Tyrannosaurus Lance and Tyrannosaurus Bruce."

Interviewee Rob Curran claimed successful the doc that his girl became "transfixed" by Barney arsenic a toddler, overmuch to his annoyance. "Barney lone appeals to a 3-year-old mentality," helium stated. "Barney conscionable drove each the parents crazy. I realized I had to bash something." So, helium created "The I Hate Barney Secret Society," a newsletter and assemblage for anti-Barney parents similar him. "We are a enactment radical for parents who person a Barney addict successful the family," helium explained. "I conscionable gave a dependable to each the fears of each the parents."

In conscionable a fewer weeks, the newsletter got 7,000 sign-ups.

In 1993 haters took Barney bashing to the adjacent level. Citing a quality report, the documentary explained how, "In a Galveston, Texas K-Mart, 3 boys aged 10, 11 and 12 attacked a antheral dressed up arsenic Barney. They punched Barney and tried to teardrop disconnected the dinosaur's head."

David Letterman adjacent poked amusive astatine the backlash during a Late Show episode, adding "Beat the crap retired of Barney successful a Texas buying mall" to his segment "Top 10 Things That Will Get You connected the Evening News."

Former Barney & Friends euphony manager Bob Singleton recounted his archetypal acquisition with the Barney backlash, "The archetypal clip I truly heard astir Barney bashing was erstwhile I was nominated for a Grammy." While doing a vigor interrogation astir the achievement, helium recalled, "There were radical saying, 'His euphony drives maine crazy. I'd conscionable emotion to get my fingers astir that guy's neck.' I was amazed that they felt similar they wanted to bash maine carnal harm. And it wasn't conscionable 1 oregon 2 telephone calls."

Singleton aboriginal unlisted his telephone number. "I was successful fear," helium said. "I got existent decease and dismemberment of my household emails. I truly don't privation to revisit it, that was a unspeakable time. It wounded truthful bad."

Ted Giannoulis, the antheral down celebrated San Diego sports mascot The Chicken, began incorporating Barney bashing into his crippled time drama acts. "I decided to bash a dance-off contention with Barney the Dinosaur," helium recalled successful the doc. "Suddenly helium breaks into this large interruption dancing that puts maine to shame." A "ticked off" Giannoulis would past tackle Barney connected the tract and unsmooth the dinosaur up arsenic fans cheered him connected successful the stands.

Sheryl Leach's institution sued Giannoulis successful 1998 for copyright infringement and asked for outgo for utilizing Barney's likeness. Unfortunately for squad Barney, the instrumentality was connected Giannoulis' broadside arsenic helium recounted from the court's dismissal of the case that his usage of the quality "clearly qualifies arsenic a parody," a signifier of protected speech.

In 1998, Sheryl decided to measurement distant from her relation astatine Barney & Friends. As Sloan Coleman, erstwhile SVP of Live Events, said, "Once Sheryl departed, it truly was ne'er the aforesaid again."

Then successful the aboriginal 2000s, 2 much pivotal unit members left. Bob West walked distant aft much than a decennary of voicing Barney ("I was bored," helium explained) and David Joyner, the antheral wrong the costume from 1991 to 2001, near to prosecute different acting opportunities.

Soon after, Barney was sold to a elephantine media conglomerate for $275 million, and was aboriginal cancelled successful 2010.

Several child actors who appeared connected Barney & Friends shared however they faced hardships aft their clip connected the show. Pia Hamilton, who played Min from 1992 to 1996, and Hope Cervantes, who portrayed Tosha from 1992 to 1996, recalled being bullied successful schoolhouse and getting called names similar "Barney lover" and "Barney girl." Cervantes added, "I did crook to drugs and intoxicant to cope, to deal."

Ricky Carter, who played Derek from 1990 to 1995, admitted helium began hanging astir the incorrect crowds and doing drugs aft Barney. In 2004, helium said helium recovered himself successful a perchance fatal concern erstwhile a expected person pulled a gun on him and asked for everything helium had. "I jumped retired the car and that's erstwhile helium changeable maine successful the spine," Carter explained. He said helium was initially told helium would beryllium paralyzed for life, but aft extended therapy helium was capable to locomotion again.

In a 2001 Katie Couric interview, Sheryl admitted her lone child, lad Patrick Leach, was bullied implicit his transportation to the famed dinosaur.

Patrick would aboriginal person a convulsive run-in with a neighbour that landed him successful prison, and the commutation exertion to shorten his situation condemnation shed airy into his troubled childhood. "Mr. Leach faced important challenges arsenic a kid and entering aboriginal adulthood," Charles Mittelstadt, a Criminal Defense Investigator, quoted the commutation exertion document. "When helium was young, his parent was engaged gathering a palmy vocation and his begetter struggled with depression. Mr. Leach's parents separated erstwhile helium was 14 years aged and divorced 3 years later. During that clip Mr. Leach developed a encephalon tumor—benign—that was surgically removed."

By 2013, Patrick was 27 and surviving successful Malibu. That January, Patrick changeable his neighbor Erick Shanks connected Shanks' spot aft accusing him of trespassing connected his. (Shanks survived.) Patrick fled but was soon arrested with aggregate firearms successful his possession, according to L.A. lawman territory lawyer Brenda Lee.

Patrick plead nary contention to battle with a deadly limb and successful 2015 was sentenced to 15 years successful prison, but yet lone served 5 years aft a commutation.

Criminal Defense Investigator Charles Mittelstadt shared his ain penetration into Patrick's intelligence authorities astatine the time, "By him ain admittance helium became fundamentally astir addicted to marijuana to wherever it was coping mechanics arsenic a mode to numb his emotions...It benignant of amped up his anxiousness and amped up his paranoia."