Candace Cameron Bure’s new Christmas movie on the Great American Family (GAF) channel later this month.
Bure spoke to the Wall Street Journal about leaving the Hallmark Channel after a decade for a new network that aligned more with her faith.
“My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” Bure, 46, said. “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 don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy,” the One Tree Hill star tweeted. “But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.”
JoJo Siwa also weighed in on Bure’s comments. The two publicly exchanged words over the summer after the Dancing With the Stars alum, 19, called Bure the “rudest” celebrity she ever met.
It seems Bure’s quote that sparked backlash had to do with a comment she made about GAF creating content featuring “traditional” relationships. Hallmark, under new leadership, has been moving towards more progressive storylines. The network’s first original holiday film featuring an LGBTQ love story, The Holiday Sitter, will debut this season. Bure, who was Hallmark’s unofficial queen of Christmas, departed as GAF launched a rebrand last year.
Bure declined to specifically speak to WSJ about leaving the Hallmark Channel.
However, Bure said same-sex couples will not be highlighted at her new home, noting, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”
A spokeswoman for Hallmark offered the following statement and said the company is committed to telling diverse stories: “We want all viewers to see themselves in our programming and everyone is welcome.”
Anyone who follows Bure on social media shouldn’t be surprised by her comments. The former View co-host proudly promotes her Christian faith on social media — figuratively and literally. The actress even sells a Candace Cameron Bure-brand Bible.
When Bure left Hallmark, she said in a statement that Great American Media (GAM), which owns GAF, “fits my brand perfectly.”
