Here's Why Barry Weiss Left Storage Wars...And Why He Is Returning to the Show

If you're a fan of Storage Wars, you've probably noticed that Barry Weiss has returned to the hit A&E reality series after a several-year absence. Barry last appeared on the show in 2015, but many don't know why he put his Storage Wars days behind him until now.

So, what happened to Barry? Let's find out.

Although there were initially some rumors that Barry had passed away, Barry actually left because he wanted to get back to his original job of "professional slacker." (Sounds like typical Barry to us.)

"I had a blast," he said in an interview about his time on Storage Wars. "It was fun, but I had enough and I kind of wanted to leave while it was still popular."

After leaving Storage Wars, Barry began working on a spinoff called Barry’s Treasure, which ran for eight episodes. Unfortunately, a lack of interest in the spinoff resulted in it not being renewed by A&E. That wasn't Barry's only post-Storage Wars foray into television, however. Another short-lived spinoff of his, called Storage Wars: Barry Strikes Back, lasted for 10 episodes before also ultimately being axed by the network.

There were reasons for the rumors that Barry had died. In late April 2019, Barry was involved in a serious motorcycle accident along with his friend, Jamie. According to TMZ, a car pulled out of a parking space and Barry and his friend crashed into it. This resulted in a number of injuries to Barry's chest and legs, including internal injuries and broken bones. Barry was in the ICU for a period of time and needed multiple surgeries on his back and femur, then underwent a long recovery period once he was discharged.

Barry currently has a net worth estimated at $10 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. (So he can definitely afford his "professional slacker" job title.) In recent years, the avid car collector has been spotted by fans at auto events — and no, his carefree lifestyle was not funded by his storage locker finds.

"I was in the import-export business with fruits and vegetables … with my brother," he said, per Closer Weekly, of how he became rich. "It was a family company started by my grandfather."

The star worked for roughly 25 years to build his family's impressive produce empire. However, he eventually grew tired of the business and decided to be a storage locker hunter, which culminated in the fame he gained from Storage Wars.

Barry is also a grandfather to a little boy named Jack, which has definitely kept him busy. "He's getting so big now," he gushed. Beyond that, Barry is a single man with no plans of tying the knot again anytime soon. "I have plenty of stuff to keep me busy," he said.

Fans who were upset that 2015 marked the last of Barry's appearances on Storage Wars are in luck, as the lovable storage unit bidder and car aficionado is reportedly returning for the new season of the show. In September, TMZ reported that Barry would be taking part in Season 14 of the show, which will air on Nov. 2, 2021. No specific reasoning was given as to why he chose 2021 as the right time to return to the show.

Barry's return was so well received, that he's back on the show this season as well to make looking through people's old storage units fun and exciting again.

Check out Barry and the rest of the Storage Wars, at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesdays on A&E.