Candace Cameron Bure Praised Hallmark 2 Years Ago For Being Inclusive: What Changed?

Candace Cameron Bure understands the desire to have her thoughts heard and opinions considered. But what happens when her oft-controversial commentary contradicts itself?

The "Fuller House" and recent addition to the Great American Family network is under fire once again.

Yesterday, entertainer (and past celeb-sparring partner of Bure's) JoJo Siwa, called her out for comments Bure had made in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The actress is deeply involved with the new Great American Family network. The Wall Street Journal describes the network as "An upstart cable channel that is positioning itself as the God-and-country alternative for holiday entertainment."

Bure's role at GAF reflects the outlet's assessment; she serves as the Chief Creative Officer, which, as the WSJ describes, "allows her to produce religious titles under the 'Candace Cameron Bure presents' banner."

Another critical component of the network's mission is GAF's chief executive, Bill Abbott.

Abbot, 60, has been a consistent figure in Bure's life for a while; he is the former CEO of Hallmark's Crown Media, Bure's former home base for the many holiday films she has become primarily known for in recent years. The WSJ also states the duo has known each other for 15 years.

Bure has been extremely vocal about her opinions pertaining to the concept of 'family-friendly programming' and the type of content she believes reflects its definition.

She is also devoted to associating her name with faith-oriented programming; her new roles at GAF give her room to allow her viewpoints to be reflected in various types of scripture-to-screen transitions.

Bure is so steadfast in her commitment to participating in pro-faith and family-friendly content to the point where she decided to leave Hallmark in search of an outlet that would allow her to do so; Abbott's new GAF network fit the bill, allowing the duo to continue working together.

Abbott's own allegiance to producing programming reflecting his faith is reflected both in the reason behind his 2020 exit from his position at Crown Media, and in the mission behind GAF. According to Bounding Into Comics, Abbott cut ties with the network "in order to push back against" Hallmark's newfound commitment to incorporate components of diversity into its content. Hallmark, however, does not share Abbott's views. A network representative told the WSJ "[Hallmark wants] all viewers to see themselves in our programming and everyone is welcome."

Abbott did not mince words when sharing his thoughts on the entertainment industry; in a recent podcast interview, he referred to it as "a sewer." He also praised the pairing between GAF and Bure, calling her "The key piece of what [the network is] doing." (per WSJ)

Abbott's point could be illustrated in Bure's response to a question regarding GAF's representation focal point in their holiday films, which also landed her in hot water with Siwa.

"I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core," she told the WSJ.

Siwa, 19, shared a screenshot of an article covering Bure's comments on Instagram yesterday.

"Honestly I can't believe after everything 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," Siwa wrote in her photo caption.

Reactions to Siwa's statements were divided. Many commentators criticized Siwa for giving Bure too much thought over the last year and chastised her for " always trying to start drama with Candace." Plenty of commentators also agreed with Siwa's post.

Bure's comments in the Wall Street Journal and her desire to align herself with a network that allows her to focus on making more family-friendly content, seemingly contradict a comment she made in a 2020 interview with the Washington Post.

She was asked for her thoughts on Hallmark's commitment to showcasing more POC and LGBTQIA+ in their programming, and responded, "They're striving to be inclusive of all groups. And I think it's absolutely wonderful," and later added, "I think it's a really great thing that they want all people to feel welcome and included in their programming."

Four years earlier, the actress also spoke about LGBTQIA+ representation on "Fuller House."

"I'm an actress on a television show," she said while speaking on a panel with members of her fellow "Fuller House" cast and crew. "and I support all things we go through as human beings and would love all of our characters to explore whatever issues that are current in our culture and in our society today. And I am 100% on board with that." (per Christian Post)

Did Candace Cameron Bure change her mind about LGBTQIA+ representation in the media? Only time will tell whether Bure will choose to address her Wall Street Journal comments, potentially providing more insight into her viewpoints or into a potential change of perspective.