The Instantly Viral Story About Andy’s ‘Toy Story’ Dad Is As Bogus As It Is Heartbreaking

The Toy Story franchise has delivered a fair number of emotional gut punches over its silver screen run. Millions of adults, children and inanimate objects sobbed many a tear during THAT Toy Story 3 scene, so really all the cards are on the emotional wreck table. That’s probably why an alleged Toy Story character detail has Twitter in a frenzy and a Pixar titan stomping out the claim.

The hullabaloo centers around a claim about Andy, his dad and Woody made by Toy Story consultant Mike Mozart during an interview with Jonathan Carlin for their YouTube channel Super Carlin Brothers. Mozart relayed that he was told by Pixar writer Joe Ranft before he passed away. Ranft revealed (according to Mozart) that Andy’s dad died of polio and that Woody was Andy Sr.’s childhood toy. That means the doll was passed down to Andy and it’s all very sad.

Bummed out by that lil’ detail? Well, don’t be for long. Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote the movie with Ranft, says that the whole Andy and Woody polio heartbreak rodeo is totally bogus.

“Complete and utter fake news,” tweeted Stanton. “Everyone go back to your homes. Nothing to see here, folks. #Iwasthere”

That feels like a pretty airtight rebuttal. So, uh, go back to coming up with their own spirit-breaking back stories for what happened with Andy’s dad and take polio off the theory dry erase board.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter & io9)

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