In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Bure explained her decision to leave the Hallmark Channel and sign a major deal with the Great American Family network. One thing she specifically pointed out as a selling point for GAC was the fact that the network will not depict same-sex relationships in its films or TV shows, saying, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” She went on to say, “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.” Obviously, her comments led to some criticism, with Burton taking to Twitter to express her feelings. “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,” the actress wrote. GAC’s CEO, Bill Abbott, also made some comments related to LGBTQ+ relationships in the interview, calling same-sex couples a “trend.” He said, “It’s certainly the year 2022, so we’re aware of the trends.” In response to this, Burton wrote, “Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry. I called this shit out years ago when Abbott was at Hallmark. Glad they dumped him. Being LGBTQ isn’t a ’trend’. That guy and his network are disgusting. You too Candy. There is nothing untraditional about same-sex couples.” Back in late 2019, Burton claimed that she was “let go” from a Hallmark project because she pushed for inclusivity. “I had insisted on a LGBTQ character, an interracial couple and diverse casting. I was polite, direct and professional. But after the execs gave their notes on the script and NONE of my…Requests were honored, I was told ’take it or leave it’,” she recalled. Burton went on to say, “The bigotry comes from the top and permeates the whole deal over there,” before praising Lifetime for becoming more inclusive. Her statements in 2019 came shortly after Hallmark got major backlash for pulling an ad that featured a same-sex couple kissing at their wedding, per CNN. Since then, Hallmark has made efforts to be more diverse and inclusive, which was seemingly a factor in Bure’s decision to move to GAC. As for the One Tree Hill alum, she was praised back then for standing up for her values with even more people supporting her recent statements about Bure. One person wrote in the replies, “I always knew you were awesome when watching OTH. Thank you for speaking for those of us who can’t speak as loud or as strong for whatever reason. Wanted to say that, you know, just in case Twitter suddenly ends.” More News:
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