Actress Candace Cameron Bure is reacting to the backlash she’s received after telling the Wall Street Journal that movies shot at her new professional home, Great American Family, will “keep traditional marriage in the spotlight.”
Bure’s remarks were criticized by many, including actress Hilarie Burton. Burton appeared in a series of original movies on the Hallmark Channel, where Bure was a huge star for many years before moving to America’s Greatest Family in early 2022.
Bigot, Burton she wrote in a since-deleted tweet Monday evening. “I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. Of course. Win, honey. Ride that wave of bias to the bank.
In another tweet, Burton said was glad that Hallmark left former CEO Bill Abbott, who now runs Great American Family. “That guy and his network are disgusting,” she wrote. “…There is nothing non-traditional about same-sex couples.”
Internet star JoJo Siwa also called out Bure on Instagram and referenced her relationship with the former “Full House” star a few months ago when she called Bure “the coolest star” she’s ever met ever
“I can’t believe, after everything that happened just a few months ago, that you not only make a film with the intention of excluding LGBTQIA+, but then talk about it in the media. This is rude and offensive to an entire community of people,” Siwa said.
On Wednesday, Bure released a statement in which she insisted she had “great love and affection for all people” and said: “It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think that I would want to offend and hurt anyone in intentionally”.
The actor blamed any backlash on the media, which accurately reported his comments.
“It saddens me that the media often tries to divide us, even on a subject as comforting and joyful as Christmas movies. But given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever,” said Bure.
Bure did not address the concerns raised by Siwa, who is a member of the LGBTQ community, but said she is “a devout Christian” who is “called to love all people, and I do.”
“If you know me, you know I’m someone who loves fiercely and without discrimination,” she added. “My heart longs to build bridges and bring people closer to God, to love others well, and to simply be a reflection of God’s immense love for all of us.”
Part of building these bridges obviously includes hammering “members of the media responsible for using this opportunity to fan the flames of conflict and hatred,” as Bure put it.
Bure said he told the Wall Street Journal that “people of all races and identities have and will continue to contribute to [Great American Family] in fantastic ways both in front of and behind the camera,” but those observations were not included.
His statement did not directly address the LGBTQ community.
“I’ve never been interested in proselytizing through my storytelling, but celebrating the greatness of God in our lives through the stories I tell,” she added.
