The Actor Who Played ‘Barney’ the Dinosaur Now Runs a Tantric Sex Business
If ever you had trouble saying “I love you, you love me” with a straight face before, your memory of Barney & Friends is about to get … tangled. A surprising new interview with Barney actor David Joyner reveals that the man behind the dinosaur now channels his energy into practice as a tantra massage specialist and spiritual healer.
Joyner’s revelation arrived in conversation with Vice, as the actor inside the Barney costume from 1991-2001 (Bob West provided the actual voice) explained that his practice maintains thirty “goddess” clients whose sessions run up to $350 apiece. The practice is intended to help people “release energy and balance their chakras” (h/t People), though it can include “G-spot massages” and consensual, unprotected sexual encounters. The actor himself took to Facebook to downplay some of the sexual implications about his work:
That said, parents may not be thrilled that Joyner practiced tantra while using that hot-and-heavy purple suit:
A lot of the elements of Barney were a lot of the things I was training within tantra. I always said it was never an accident, and that I was meant to do this character … The energy I brought up [while] in the costume is based on the foundation of tantra, which is love. Everything stems, grows, and evolves from love.
For what it’s worth, Joyner has also been appearing in roles outside the dinosaur suit and massage parlor for over a decade, including turns in Shameless, That ‘70s Show, ER, 24 and others. If you’re still a bit on edge with this news, we hear tantric massages are good for stress.
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