Toy Story: Andy's Mom Is Jessie's Owner

In Toy Story 2, Jessie is given a tragic backstory about her owner, Emily, but there is definitive evidence that Emily is actually Andy's Mom.

Summary

• The theory that Andy's mom is Jessie's original owner in Toy Story 2 is supported by evidence like their similar appearance and the fact that they both own the same red cowgirl hat.
• The heartbreaking backstory of Jessie, explained in the "When She Loved Me" sequence, hints at the possibility that Andy's mom is Emily, Jessie's owner.
• While there are holes in the theory, such as the fact that Andy's mom didn't recognize Jessie in Andy's room, the theory remains a popular and intriguing possibility in the Pixar fan community.

Thanks to the creative storytelling that is the gold standard for animated films, Pixar movies have become a breeding ground for fan theories, and so it has been heavily speculated that Andy's mom is the former owner of Toy Story's Jessie. She is introduced in Toy Story 2 when it's revealed that Woody is part of a toy collection called Woody's Roundup gang, including Stinky Pete the Prospector, Bullseye the horse, and, of course, Jessie the yodeling cowgirl. Jessie has strong opinions about toys being owned, and that stems from when she once belonged to the mysterious Emily, and they initially had a great child-toy relationship.

That relationship came to an abrupt end, and in the great Pixar sequel, Jessie is still traumatized by it. Her tragic backstory is explained in a montage set to a Randy Newman song, and it's revealed that the toy and owner never reunited. It has since been theorized that Jessie's owner was Andy's mom, and there's a large amount of evidence to back up the claim. As Pixar has been known to fill its movies with hidden details, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if Andy's mom was Emily and if Jessie nearly returns to her original owner when she becomes one of Andy's toys.

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Jessie's Heartbreaking Backstory

In the "When She Loved Me" sequence, Jessie details her heartbreaking backstory to Woody, and the Toy Story 2 song perfectly captures the tragedy, though it doesn't outright prove that Andy's mom is Jessie's owner. The scene begins with Jessie and her owner, Emily, playing with each other on horses and on tire swings, and neither of them could be happier. That soon comes to an end, as Jessie watches Emily grow up and grow out of playing with toys. Emily leaves Jessie in her room, and the toy falls under the bed, which is when she quickly becomes forgotten. That's enough to make any toy resent owners, but it gets much worse.

From underneath the bed, Jessie sees toy horses on cabinets get replaced with nail varnish and cowgirl memorabilia get replaced with band posters, cementing the fact that Emily's cowgirl phase is truly over, which even made Chris Evans cry. An unknown number of years go by, as Emily gets considerably older, and Jessie is still in the same place she fell. Emily's arm reaches under the bed, and she pulls out Jessie, leading the toy to believe everything's okay and back to normal. But after a long car journey, she's thrown into a charity donation box and left next to a truck in the middle of nowhere.

Andy's Cowboy Hat Is The Same As Jessie's

The "When She Loved Me" sequence gives away one huge clue that Emily could be Andy's mom that's impossible to ignore. Emily has a red cowgirl hat that exactly matches the one that Jessie wears. It's also the exact same hat that Andy wears. The theory suggests that Andy's hat was passed down from his mother, which makes perfect sense. If Emily wasn't Andy's mom, it'd be an unbelievable coincidence that Andy and Jessie just happened to have the same hat. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks both wept at Jessie's sequence, too, but the theory that Andy's hat once belonged to Emily could alleviate the situation.

The difference between the two hats is that Andy's is missing the white lace. However, that area of the hat where the white lace should be is faded, meaning that it may once have had lace around it. And when Jessie was given away to charity, the hat wasn't in the box, so Emily must have kept it, and possibly even passed it on to her son. This wouldn't be the first time Pixar has left clues in the form of clothes like this in its films, as it was revealed Sid became a garbage man in Toy Story 3 based on the black skull tee the trash collector wears.

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Andy's Mom's Name Has Never Been Revealed

It has never been revealed in any of the Toy Story movies what Andy's mom's name is, and it's never been hinted at. But that gives credence to the fact that Andy's mom could have been the girl who owned Jessie. As Andy's mom's first name is never once mentioned, there's a chance that it could be Emily. It's revealed in the animated series that Andy's mom's last name is Davis, but also Emily's last name isn't revealed. So, in theory, both Jessie's owner and Andy's mom are named Emily Davis. While what happened to Andy's dad remains a mystery, Andy's mom's name could have secretly been answered.

Emily And Andy's Mom Have Similar Appearances

It isn't clear how long ago Jessie was abandoned in the charity box, but based on the truck, Emily's parents' car, and the style of her bedroom in the flashback, it could very well have been in the late '70s or early '80s. That would make Andy's mom about the same age that Emily would be at the time Toy Story 2 takes place. Not only would they be the same age, but they have an almost uncanny resemblance, too. Both Emily and Andy's Mom are slim, and both are brunettes with the same kind of hairstyle, though Andy's Mom's hair is slightly lighter.

The Likelihood Of The Theory Being True

Though it's one of the saddest Toy Story stories, this theory gives it a silver lining, and given all the evidence, there can't possibly be any other answer. Between Andy owning the same hat as Emily, the similar appearance between Emily and Andy's mom, and Andy's mom's name never being revealed, all signs point to Andy's mom being Emily Davis and Jessie's former owner. But there are a couple of holes in the theory. If Andy's mom did own Jesse, she would surely have found it weird that the exact same rare doll was sitting in Andy's room after she had given it away years ago.

Either way, Pixar's lips are zipped shut, and just like the Pixar shared universe theory and other mysteries that their movies' narratives raise, it'll likely remain a mystery. However, Peter Docter, a Pixar director and one of the story writers of Toy Story 2, revealed that the theory is actually false (via ET Online). Docter explained that he does have a backstory for Jessie, but he's not willing to reveal what it is just yet. It could be saved for a future movie, or the theory could be the truth, and he just doesn't want to pull down the curtain. Theories are always more alluring when they remain a mystery.

The Andy's Mom Jessie's Owner Theory Is One Of Pixar's Most Famous

Andy’s mom being Jessie’s original owner isn’t the only Pixar fan theory that makes a lot of sense - or has gained a lot of traction. Some fan theories, like Cars taking place in a world where humans have been wiped out, are Pixar theories that have been confirmed. Others, however, remain a mystery and are still theorized about when new Pixar releases debut.

One theory, provided by the idea that all the Pixar movies are connected in one universe, is that Inside Out’s Bing Bong is actually a monster from Monsters, Inc.’s universe. The idea is that he was a monster who was put into action when monsters began to rely on laughter instead of fear to do their jobs, but Riley remembers him as her imaginary friend because she was so young. It’s a great way to tie those two movies together if it turns out to be true.

One of the most beloved fan theories also ties into Monsters, Inc. The theory posits that Boo is also the witch in Brave. The theory has been floated not just because the witch has a carving of Sully, but also because much of the artwork in her home is from time periods that should be impossible for her to have. Time travel, or magical doorways, would be how she’s moved from place to place, and she’s doing so while searching for Sully, hence the prominent Easter egg of his carving in her home. It’s one of the more outlandish Pixar theories, but like Andy’s mom being Jessie’s original owner in Toy Story 2, has a bittersweet quality to it.