The popular TV show, ‘Full House,’ actress, Candace Cameron Bure, says that as opposed to the Hallmark Channel, her new network, Great American Family, in its upcoming movies and projects, does not plan to focus on same-gender relationships. Bure said in a recent interview that she thinks that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.
Bure left the Hallmark Channel earlier this year, after making more than two dozen movies, including 10 holiday films, for the network. She now serves as chief creative officer at Great American Family.
Great American Media better aligns with her career goals and personal beliefs, as she says. “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” said Bure in the interview. “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,” she added, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Former president and CEO of Hallmark’s parent company Crown Media, Bill Abbott also made the transition to Great American Family, as he is now the CEO of the new network. So Bure is not the only former Hallmark face to make the transition.
Abbott was asked about his perspective on whether same-gender couples would be the focus of GAF films, and he said that they are aware of the trends in 2022. “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,’” said Abbott.
Hilarie Burton Morgan responded to the latest remarks from Bure, as she called her a ‘bigot’ in a post on Twitter. “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,” Morgan tweeted. “Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry,” the One Tree Hill and White Collar actress wrote.
JoJo Siwa also took to Instagram, as she called out the Bure, saying: “I can’t believe after everything that went down just a few months ago, that she would not only create a movie with intention of excluding LGBTQIA+, but then also talk about it in the press. This is rude and hurtful to a whole community of people.”
Morgan left a Hallmark job in 2019, as per a report, after she says executives ignored her requests for an “LGBTQ character, an interracial couple and diverse casting.”
The Hallmark Channel found itself under fire around the same time, after pulling commercials featuring same-gender couples. The decision started a media frenzy during the network’s busiest time of the year, which is the holiday season. But later, Hallmark backtracked and apologized for the move. Abbott left the channel after 11 years without any explanation, which happened nearly a month after the commercial controversy.
In August 2020, Hallmark brought in Wonya Lucas in an effort to move the network forward. Lucas was a former TV One executive and CNN brand manager. Lucas said during an interview in 2021, that her focus is making her new media brand as inclusive as its parent company’s greeting cards, saying: “I live a life that is reflective of a lot of different communities. I can authentically say I want those communities represented because I know, not just know of, I really know what it’s like to be othered, however you define that.”