Hilarie Burton Calls Candace Cameron Bure a ‘Bigot’ for Leaving Hallmark to Pursue ‘Christian’ Programming

It was high time the Hallmark Channel’s yuletide was made a little gay, and this December, the preferred trad network of coastal millennials will finally debut its first same-sex Christmastime love story, The Christmas Sitter. (Starring Ohio’s own, Jonathan Bennett, aka Aaron Samuels!) An unintended gift of said project is that all future programming will now be entirely devoid of the Hallmark’s self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, Candace Cameron Bure, who’s moved on to rival network Great American Family in the Great Schism of 2022.

Our least favorite sister in Christ recently revealed to the Wall Street Journal that she departed the network because it became difficult to feel holly jolly about what Hallmark is beginning to offer under its tree—in short: queer narratives. “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” said Bure.“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.”

Enter Hilarie Burton, a fellow Hallmark alumna, who had some thoughts on DJ Tanner’s transition to Great American Family: “Bigot. I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. But sure. Make your money, honey,” Burton tweeted. “You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.”

Burton also responded directly to another part of Bure’s interview, wherein she’s asked if Great American Family—helmed by former Hallmark parent company exec, Bill Abbott—would ever feature same-sex love stories. Obviously, she said no: “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”

“Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry,” Burton tweeted. “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.”

The timing of Abbott’s exit from Hallmark, noted by WSJ, came just after the network refused to air advertisements for a wedding-planning website that featured two brides kissing in late 2019. It later reneged on the decision after #BoycottHallmark began trending on Twitter. Bure’s departure, she said, was prompted by new management: “It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership.” Ah yes, because Hallmark is now the preferred channel of blue-haired, bleeding-heart libs who worship Satan as opposed to kicking him in the crotch as Bure did on Halloween.

According to the profile, Abbott and Bure simply share a storied history and a certain embrace of “soft-faith” programming, which is probably why the latter was given the title of “chief creative officer” and her own “Candace Cameron presents” banner at the network. If all of that sounds lame, just wait until you hear about her first Great American Family Christmas film: A Christmas…Present tells the story of Maggie, an ambitious real-estate agent who’s “hit a bumpy patch” in her marriage and fallen away from her faith. Spoiler alert: She finds her way back. “One of God’s greatest gifts, and it doesn’t require wrapping,” one character says of Christianity. Much meaning! Such purpose! The deepest of depths!

Notably, at the time of the WSJ interview, Bure was filming a scene where her character rushes to a church to deliver a pie and experiences “a revelation.” Here’s a scintillating behind-the-scenes preview:

The crew grapples with what they call the “God light,” or the flickering beam that comes during Mrs. Bure’s spiritual interlude. A crew member objects when the light gets too bright, too fast. “That’s a little Hallelujah-ish,” he says. A producer fixes the heavy church door, whose jarring slam keeps killing the vibe. A crew member inhales a snow bubble and coughs.

As of now, Burton has been the only Hallmark star to comment on Bure’s newfound allegiance to Great American Family (and their thinly-veiled bigotry), but frankly, I’d love to hear what Jodie Sweetin has to say, given she’s more than filled the void her Full House big sis left behind.

That said, all the best to Bure in her new venture. I’m sure she’ll be much more convincing as a pie-toting, Jesus-loving housewife than a New York City journalist who dumps her wasp fiancé for a cynical bar manager, anyhow.