Candace Cameron Bure left the Hallmark Channel over ‘traditional marriage’ issues?

Candace Cameron Bure is very right-wing, very Evangelical Christian. She’s also the kind of new-wave fundamentalist who can reframe issues so she seems like less of a close-minded bigot. Make no mistake, though. She’s absolutely a close-minded bigot. She’s not anti-vaccine, she’s just pro-immunity! She’s not anti-LGBTQ, she just thinks gay folks shouldn’t have the right to marry or be represented positively in the media. She’s not a fundamentalist Christian hellbent on turning America into Gilead, she just “loves Jesus.” Which brings me to this story – Candace left the Hallmark Channel in April after a decade spent on making those churchy, wholesome TV movies. Candace is now working with the Great American Family network to turn that into the kind of “family values” channel where LGBTQ folks are never heard from or represented. It looks like Candace might have put the GAF network in a bit of a pickle though, because she said that sh-t explicitly.

Candace Cameron Bure does not expect the Great American Family (GAF) network, which she serves as the chief creative officer for, to feature same-sex couples in its Christmas movies. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Monday, the Fuller House alum, 46, said, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” when asked about the subject.

Bill Abbott, the former Hallmark Channel CEO who now runs GAF, added of featuring same-sex couples: “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends. There’s no whiteboard that says, ‘Yes, this’ or ‘No, we’ll never go here.’ ”

A representative for GAF and Bure did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Bure exited the Hallmark Channel in April — a network she had worked with for over a decade. The channel currently has plans to air a more diverse lineup this year, including the upcoming movie, The Holiday Sitter, which will feature a main LGBTQ love story.

Bure told the WSJ that the Great American Family has no plans to do the same, but will instead focus on other stories, like that of her first movie with the network, A Christmas … Present, which will premiere on Great American Family this month. Bure previously starred in 10 holiday-themed movies and 30 films overall for Hallmark’s Crown Media.

Now, Bure told the WSJ: “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them. I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.”

The outlet said that Bure would not speak about her departure from Hallmark Channel, only telling them, “It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership.”

And while Hallmark executives declined to comment on Great American Family to the WSJ, a spokeswoman for Hallmark said, “We want all viewers to see themselves in our programming and everyone is welcome.”

[From People]

Again, Candace is the kind of fundamentalist bigot who enjoys reframing conversations – it’s not that the Hallmark Channel is a den of LGBTQ hedonism, it’s that GAF will be so much more “wholesome.” GAF will take pains to show a world in which LGBTQ folks have no right to marry, love, exist or celebrate Christmas. You know, family values! Wholesome! Not like those pagan sodomite abortionists at the g–damn Hallmark Channel! It’s hilarious. When did “Christianity” become synonymous with “we’re scared of fictional representations of the existence of gay folks”?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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143 Responses to “Candace Cameron Bure left the Hallmark Channel over ‘traditional marriage’ issues?”

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  1. OverIt says:

    “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends.” They’re called human rights, ya asshat.

  2. ME says:

    I wonder what she would do if one of her kids was gay? Disown them? Send them off to conversion therapy camp? Wow.

  3. Enis says:

    The fact this channel is called GAF is not lost on me. It seems like a giant gaff and will be on the wrong side of history.

  4. JW says:

    Oh hi, Starkist Tuna! I didn’t realize your corporate values were to align your tuna with someone who thinks LGBTQ people shouldn’t be portrayed positively in media! You just got added to my Do Not Buy Ever list!

    • Laura-Lee MacDonald says:

      I, also, zoomed in to read the brands she is repping that pic and vowing to NEVER buy them!

    • Josephine says:

      a couple of years ago there was a twitter stream about how Starkist supports Tucker Carlson, so I guess this isn’t new. i agree, no more starkist for this household — brands that are pro-“christian” facism can screw themselves. there is nothing even remotely truly Christian about Candance’s values – really sick of these nasty women wrapping their hatred in the veil of Christianity. we see you.

      • Tantilion says:

        Thank goodness someone is standing up to this “indoctrination “ of everyone that this is perfectly normal and don’t notice it as something different. I do not want to see that in every other movie I watch.! It’s in commercials constantly as if we don’t know about it.

      • whatWHAT? says:

        Tantillion, what are you even talking about? what “indoctrination”?

        oh, you’re just a bigoted troll? gotcha.

    • Betsy says:

      Chicken of the Sea! Their little Infusions cups are so good, and to the best of my knowledge they aren’t funding Christianist losers like Candy.

  5. Mireille says:

    Candace is a tool. I expect Kevin Sorbo and the guy that plays Chachi to play her “love” interests in her new spate of bigoted, prejudicial films on GAF.

    As for those Hallmark Christmas movies, Lord I tried…I really tried…but even with diverse casting and storytelling…they are so damn boring and inane. I usually don’t go for over the top melodrama (looking at you medical shows on TV networks), but damn these Hallmark movies could use some…ANY MELODRAMA.

    • Green Desert says:

      “the guy that plays Chachi” – dying over here 🙂

      • whatWHAT? says:

        yeah, that got me too. he’s not even worth an IMDB look-up.

      • pottymouth pup says:

        children of the late 70s/80s know that Jimmy is the vastly superior Baio especially when compared to his cousin who played Chachi

    • HeatherC says:

      The GAF(f) movies will probably be even worse, all the problems can be solved by prayer.

    • Elon's Sink says:

      Single woman meets single guy. Instant and mutual attraction intensifies. Misunderstanding or past “trauma” stops anything from happening. Guy leaves town. Woman realises that she loves him. They get back together and kiss. Cue Christmas bells and plinky music.

      At this point, they should be called “The One in a small town”, The one in the big city” and “The one at the ski lodge”.

      • SIde Eye says:

        Lol @Elon’s Sink! Yep. You nailed it. Don’t forget there’s a date at a skating rink and spoiler alert!!! Someone doesn’t know how to skate!!! OMG! The twists and turns of this! You don’t want to miss it!

        Don’t get me started on all the mysteries and unanswered questions: just how exactly did a woman pack 12 different winter coats in one tiny suitcase for that trip to the big city? Also, why in the hell is a 5 year old so invested in helping her single dad (widowed of course not divorced!!!) find love? Is that 5 year old just “an old soul?” or “wise beyond their years?” I always have so many questions!

    • Christian Fundies are Ghouls! says:

      Or better yet, Bure does a GAF Christmas love story with her equally religiously batty brother, Kirk.

    • Roop says:

      I was actually IN one of those movies, and I couldn’t even handle watching that one (and I really wanted to see my scenes). They’re that bad!!

    • Deering24 says:

      Having more diverse casts and stories has given Hallmark some breathing room. But the “marry, reproduce—but first overdecorate to the nth degree” formula invariably deadens these movies. There are so many ways to celebrate the holidays and so many tales to be told about how very different flawed people deal amid this madness when nothing is going right in their lives and they are out of hope. But Hallmark and these other channels seem to think the only valid happy holiday flick is about coupling up. 🤮🤮

  6. Amy Bee says:

    Gay marriage is not a trend.

  7. SamC says:

    She’s probably feeling empowered to be more direct in her interviews because I guess the first movie got good ratings. I read a couple interviews right after she left Hallmark and she deflected when asked, saying there was a creative board that made the decisions on inclusion and was out of her control. Didn’t believe it then either.

    A bunch of Hallmark people followed her too…curious if they had a ton of money thrown at them to go or they are also of the CCB ilk. Danica McKellar was one and suddenly she was talking about Christianity and faith in a bunch of her posts.

    • Kebbie says:

      I’m glad to hear Danica is gone, her movies were always terrible. I like Lacey Chabert and Alison Sweeney. Fingers crossed they don’t turn into evangelical weirdos.

      Hilarie Burton had a cute one a few years ago, maybe she’ll start doing them again. She was shading Candace on Twitter for this, at least I know she won’t go to the dark side!

      • Erin says:

        I thought I saw that Alison Sweeney was maga? Correct me if I’m wrong though.

      • whatWHAT? says:

        DAMN. I just read what Burton wrote:

        “Bigot. I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.”

        BURN! SCORCHING BURN!

      • Kebbie says:

        @Erin I haven’t seen anything about that, I hope not! She does look a lot like Kristy Swanson, who is very MAGA. Is it possible you’re thinking of her?

      • Kebbie says:

        @whatwhat I know! I love Hilarie

      • Erin says:

        @Kebbie-Just googled and YES you are right, my bad, I mixed them up.

      • Jais says:

        So I think Burton moved to lifetime Christmas movies bc she said they could be more inclusive than the hallmark movies. Not sure if I’m remembering that correctly though? It would’ve been a few years back. Either way, Candice is someone I just can’t respect ever. Hateful person that deludedly believes they’re a good person cuz of Christ. Yeah no.

      • whatWHAT? says:

        “Hateful person that deludedly believes they’re a good person cuz of Christ. Yeah no.”

        isn’t is amazing how many “Christians” don’t act in a Christ-like way? like ministering to the homeless, sick and less fortunate (and marginalized) populations? opening their hearts and acting out of kindness, not bigotry? these “christians” think that by calling themselves that, and shouting from the rooftops “but I’m a CHRISTIAN!” absolves them from actually acting like one.

      • Andrea says:

        That explains why Danica just moved to rural Tennessee from California.

      • Kebbie says:

        @Jais Ahh, good to know, I like her a lot. I’ll have to check out the lifetime ones too.

      • TheOriginalMia says:

        Both Lacey & Allison are Hallmark darlings. Both have signed long term deals with Hallmark. Allison might have a development deals because her 2 series were quite successful for Hallmark. Haven’t heard of either of them drinking the evangelical kool-aid, but Danica most definitely did.

      • Erin says:

        @whatwhat- these are my maga in laws, they delight in all the shot republicans and trump say and do to people that they do not deem worthy, like it literally brings them joy and they honestly think because they go to church and listen to K Love they are all headed to those pearly gates. And if those are the kind of people that are in heaven, count me out.

    • pottymouth pup says:

      Yeah she was very clear here

      “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.”

      I’m sure if there are any representations of people who do not fit the Christofascist mold, they will be presented as aimless, unhappy, unfulfilled and/or otherwise less than because they lack Jesus in their lives

      • Isabella says:

        As if only Christians have families. So disgusting. I bet she left because she’ll make more money. And because the new leadership doesn’t like her and vice versa.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Isabella, I don’t consider people who believe this are Christians. They are religious extremists. Christians believe in a God who LOVES. That means they are NOT Christians. I wish more people would use the distinction because I think Christians are getting tarred with the same brush.

      • Otaku fairy says:

        Yep, they’ve got to teach their aco- I mean, children that anyone who doesn’t fit that mold is a cautionary tale to be used. At best they’ll include a prodigal daughter/son who Got Help & Repented.

      • Josephine says:

        @Saucy&Sassy – I think Christians are being tarred with the same brush because too few Christians are standing up to these facists and outing them for what they do in the name of God. Too many Christians are staying mute, possibly because they are willing to do anything and sacrifice anyone to outlaw abortion, or because they frankly benefit from the white, Christian privilege that these facists are advocating. If Christians want to stand out and actually follow the Word of God they need to denounce these horrific people. But it’s crickets out there from the Christian community.

  8. Jaded says:

    The network should change its name to IDGAF because they clearly don’t give a f*ck about human rights.

  9. Neners says:

    Insidious snake.

    • SomeChick says:

      she’s batshit crazy. I saw her on Dancing with the Stars (was watching to root for someone else) and she is absolutely bonkers!!!

    • Otaku fairy says:

      She’s not as good at it as she thinks she is either. I don’t know if celebrities will ever be as good at it as private citizens though. The best of these snakes know how to sound just modern enough for their poison to go far.

  10. ThatsNotOkay says:

    DON’T LET IT GET LOST ON YOU THAT CANDACE CAMERON BURE OBJECTS TO THE “CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP,” WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE…A BLACK WOMAN. Wonya Lucas, President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks/Hallmark Media.

    • Kebbie says:

      And it all makes sense! I googled it and Wonya has been there since July 2020.

      I’ve been watching all the new ones this year, I’m actually watching Christmas at the Golden Dragon right now. It’s nice to see storylines around people of color and actual diversity in the casts.

      Their first attempt at “diversity” a few years ago was like two movies out of 30 with all black casts and the rest were all white, like they were afraid of mixing races or something. They’ve made great strides this year from what I can tell so far.

      • HoofRat says:

        The only two movies I watched last year were one with a racially diverse cast, and a Hanukkah-themed one (I re-watched the latter because Jake Epstein is utterly adorable, plus so many scenes included food). I’ll have to check out the Golden Dragon movie.

      • Isabella says:

        Wonya says they’re excited about getting new talent. Now the shade! “We have, I think, retained almost everybody that we’re really excited to have. So
        that’s where we are.”

      • Kebbie says:

        @Isabella That’s hilarious. Basically, “we kept the good ones!”

      • Imara219 says:

        Kebbie, I used to absolutely love Hallmark Holiday movies, but after a couple of years with all the blandness and non-diversity, I shifted over to Lifetime. As odd as it sounds, I’m ok with an all-Black Holiday movie. That’s all I watch now. I want to see good storylines steeped in Black culture. Bet+ and VH1 are getting into the action now, so I just swing that way, but I’m glad to hear that Hallmark is stepping up.

      • Kebbie says:

        Doesn’t sound odd at all Imara! I just felt like they were doing the absolute bare minimum and not actually changing anything about their core Christmas schedule. They just added one or two movies to claim they were taking the criticism to heart, without changing anything about the other 28 movies. That was my point. This year all of the movies I’ve seen seem improved.

      • TangerineTree says:

        @Kebbie Thanks so much for the tip! I put work aside, took a break and watched Christmas at the Golden Dragon. Hallmark is stepping up!

    • Mslove says:

      Candace Cameron Bure is using her “it’s Jesus’s way or the highway” shtick to discriminate against a black women. How disgusting.

      • Josephine says:

        Except that Jesus actually loved and accepted all people.

      • JanetDR says:

        It really is astonishing how many “Christians” don’t seem to have any idea of what Jesus actually was about.

      • Deering24 says:

        The Bible calls faux-Christians “Pharisees.” Funny how these folks miss that lesson, along with a good two-thirds of what they should be practicing.

  11. Stacey Dresden says:

    God she’s the worst. Go away Candace!

  12. Jessica says:

    Bye b*tch, enjoy your cult life.

  13. CC says:

    Really, DJ, these are not the kind of prejudiced values I would expect from an alumna of Berkeley!

    • Normades says:

      You gotta wonder how relations were on fuller house, Stephanie, Kimmy and Fernando seem firmly on the other side.

      • Isadora says:

        Maybe die wasn’t as insufferable back when she was younger.

        Reading that her brother was slowly getting into this fundamental christianity nearing the end of the run of growing pains I think that was maybe her first brush with that during her teenage years.

      • Isabella says:

        She could’ve been Conservative at Berkley or gotten more Conservative with age, when she realized she could make money impersonating a Conservative. Her whole thing is performance art. Look at that ridiculous grocery bag she’s carrying.

        From Wikipedia:
        “Although Republicans are in the minority, the Berkeley College Republicans is the largest political organization on campus.”

  14. K8erade says:

    I used to work in restaurants in Los Angeles and Candace Cameron Bure is the RUDEST celebrity I’ve ever met. She straight up told her kids not to look at “the help” in the eyes to my servers and let them run around the restaurant like screaming banshees. Then pulled the “don’t you know who I am?!” proceeding to throw a fit in our restaurant when we told her to control your kids or leave. Her husband Valeri tried to start a fight with my lead server. I hate her so much and I still cringe when I hear her name to this day. None of this surprises me about her.

    • olliemsom says:

      People like Candice believe that they are already “saved” so that they can act like garbage human beings for the rest of their time on Earth and it won’t matter. They believe that they are already going to Heaven – it’s a locked in deal.

  15. TheOriginalMia says:

    So happy this harpy and her crappy series are gone. I side-eye all the Hallmark stars that followed her to GAF. Bunch of bigots that won’t be missed, tbh. Hallmark may be cheesy, but they are a steady paycheck for those actors. She’s feeling emboldened because she’s the head bigot in charge. She’s making bank and being feted as the savior of white Christian programming. Whatever. GAF has a limited reach because it’s a premium channel. Have to ask for it and most don’t.

    • Bren says:

      Yep, agreed. I side-eye the actors that signed exclusive deals with GAF. I just wish Hallmark would stop airing CCB’s movies. Despite her leaving for another network, Hallmark still has her Christmas movies on heavy rotation and it’s hella annoying.

    • Carty says:

      Who told her she can act. She’s one of the worst actresses they had. They have to be aging out of these girl finds boy and kisses at the end type movies.

  16. Zazzoo says:

    When the Hallmark channel isn’t heteronormative enough for ya, you might be a right wing wacko.

  17. Anne says:

    So, she’s a little to old to play a young, career driven corporate lawyer that finds love in her hometown with her high school sweetheart. What kinds of roles is she playing? Divorced woman? Childless 45 year old virgin? How does she fit into the traditional family ideal that she’s pushing anymore?

    • Kebbie says:

      Widow. They’ll have her be a widow (extra points for war widow) who falls in love despite not looking for it in every one lol

      • Emmi says:

        I was going to put my money on widow of a fireman. And she was pregnant when he died heroically in the flames. She moves to a small town to take care of an elderly kooky aunt. Aunt is allowed to be racially ambiguous but it must be made clear they are not related by blood then. She bumps into an infuriating if handsome man in the local grocery store (it is not a supermarket chain, what are you thinking) and they have a meet-cute after which they HATE each other. Only he turns out to be the local vet who helps with the puppy she got her kid as consolation for the move. Hilarity and romance ensue. He is only the second man she’s ever kissed. He professes his love in public. Bonus points for the vet having received her late husband’s heart. #blessed

        I despise her so much.

      • Kebbie says:

        “He is only the second man she’s ever kissed. He professes his love in public. Bonus points for the vet having received her late husband’s heart.”

        😅😅😅 She helped heal his heart and he helped heal hers!

      • TangerineTree says:

        Emmi, I laughed so hard! Ty!

  18. PaperclipExtraordinaire says:

    “Candace is the kind of fundamentalist bigot who…” IS RICH AS F*CK and will now make even more $$$ at GAF because the prosperity gospel says it’s what the Lord wants and the no-gay stuff is just the cherry on top and Jesus says so and…

  19. FilmTurtle says:

    There are 100 Christmas movies every damn year centered on straight people. And yet queer people show up in literally two of them and straight Christians lose their damn minds. Never ceases to amaze.

  20. DiegoInSF says:

    She always looks mean, her smile always looks fake af lol and that product placement, what brand is it so I never support it due to its association with this bigot? 😂

  21. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    GAF. Who named this channel? Hysterical. My dirty mind is all over the place.

  22. Lainey says:

    It’s not just LGBTQ folks… the kind of trash Candace pedals is all about whiteness and reinforcing patriarchical mysogony.

  23. Tiffany:) says:

    How TF does a terrible actress from a 90s sitcom get to be Chief Creative Officer of a channel? It’s amazing how much people will pay you to tow the line for extreme Christianity.

  24. Deanne says:

    She is just like a group of women in the neighbourhood I used to live in. They all looked alike, attended the same large evangelical church, judged everyone around them, were smugly holier than thou despite all raising kids who were little versions of themselves ( bullies and mini mean girls) and a bunch of bigoted, privileged hags. My friends and I called them The Bitches for Jesus.

    • DeltaJuliet says:

      The Bitches for Jesus

      Freakin’ perfect 😀

    • Deering24 says:

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Well-played. 👏🏾👏🏾

    • SIde Eye says:

      @Deanne I love this!!! Lol the nickname is absolute fire.

      • Deanne says:

        I came up with that nickname and it’ll always be something I’m proud of. One of those women would make her kids watch the Left Behind movies to scare them into thinking they could be left all alone without their family if they dared step out of line. When I commented that it was horribly inappropriate and that the movies were ragingly anti-Semitic , her response was “ why do you care, you’re not even Jewish”. I didn’t even pretend to be polite to any of them.

  25. Elsa says:

    Good riddance. I can’t stand her.

  26. lamgirls3 says:

    I just can’t with this racist bitch. HOW is she still employed?

  27. Jennifer says:

    Can’t say this shocks me at all.

    I will be boycotting the GAC movies and cheering Hallmark on for making more diverse holiday movies.

  28. Veronica S. says:

    Young LGBT+ people should be taking note how much open hostility toward LGBT+ is filtering back into the mainstream dialogue. They managed to turn monkey pox into a gay disease issue, and then spun the assassination attempt toward Pelosi into something anti-gay. Do not mistake pronouns in your twitter bios for real progressiveness.

    We are in a very dangerous time, and people need to start thinking about how hard a minority can push things essential to people’s core beliefs before the majority lashes back. It may not be fair, but minorities can’t afford to not think strategically during civil upheaval.

  29. Z says:

    Who would have ever imagined that DJ was actually such a bitch? She seemed like the sweetest down to earth girl when we were all growing up in the ’90s. Was she always nasty behind the scenes or did she get a personality transplant somewhere along the way?

  30. jferber says:

    Z, always nasty is my bet. The sweet wipes off quite neatly.

  31. Hooops says:

    Is she serious with this line? “It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership.” Just… wow. CCB is basically saying that as soon as a black woman (Wonya Lucas) came in as CEO of Crown Media she jumped ship. Good riddance.

  32. QuiteContrary says:

    Jodie Sweetin is awesome though! Big supporter of reproductive rights. Her movies are better.

    Watched one (starring someone else) on Lifetime last week: “Under the Christmas Tree” and it was great! Adorable couple — who toasted to “the lesbians!” at one point.

  33. Lemondrop says:

    Imagine the Hallmark Channel being too edgy and progressive for your “traditional family” values. Just…wow.

  34. Luna17 says:

    God she sucks and I don’t get why she keeps getting these jobs and landing any work at this point. Im sure these movies are complete trash and doubt anyone with any taste, especially the LGBTQ community, are crying about not being in these dumb ass movies but what an asshat to come out and say it like that. Her and her brother are such garbage people.

  35. wtf says:

    Do we know who the advertisers are for GAF? Because that is how you really get a bigot. Hit them in the pocket.

  36. JT says:

    😒 I like her brown jacket (that’s all I got)

  37. Erin says:

    Wow, she’s horrible. And how about the pic with the perfectly fanned out, brand visible tuna, and placing a single basket of clearly staged groceries in your trunk? Someone needs to give this women lessons on how to properly shill.

  38. shanaynay says:

    Never liked her on Full House. She just rubbed me the wrong way… and now it all makes sense why….

    @ ME says,,,,, I have no doubt in the world that she would disown them if that happened. Any channel that has her appearing on it will be boycotted by my family and me. We will not support any channel that has this bigot or any other bigot for that matter on it.

  39. John says:

    My pastor in the Episcopal church is gay and her wife or partner who is also a priest is also. Their non-traditional marriage is for me, as valid as Candace’s and when I interact with my pastor I see and experience the teachings of Christ. Not so much with this Full House chick.

  40. shanaynay says:

    And now this stupid twit is trying to back peddle. Too little to late. She’s already showed her ass a million times by her bigoted comments. Ain’t nobody buying what she’s trying to sell now.

    I will never watch any network that has this chick on it. I wish her and her whole Klan would just permanently go away.