Great American Family CEO Bill Abbott responded after actress Candace Cameron Bure received backlash for her comment about “traditional marriage.“
In an interview with Variety, Abbott shared his thoughts on Bure’s controversial view as a leader in the network.
“I wouldn’t say whether it’s a matter of agreeing or not. Candace is chief content officer and has a point of view, and she is leading the way in the areas I mentioned before in such a skilled way that we definitely rely on her judgment and what she thinks is going to resonate best,” he shared.
Abbott continued, “Certainly, we support her in every way that I can. I think that when it comes down to all of our own personal feelings on this topic and how we see the world, we try and separate that as much as possible from the business point of view.”
Additionally, the former Hallmark CEO called Bure, 47, “great” and praised the “Full House” actress for “leading the way in the business part of it,” which he said the network supported.
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However, Abbott clarified Bure’s views on marriage differ from those of Great American Family.
“In terms of her personal views, it’s like the disclaimer you see at the end of a movie or a series that says, ‘The views reflected here are not necessarily those of the company,'” he explained
He continued, “Candace has such a high profile that when she speaks, she’ll speak on a lot of topics, and she has a wonderful podcast that is fantastic. But when she speaks on that, she’s not speaking on behalf of Great American Media.”
He added the network has received criticism in the past year.
“Well, I think it’s twofold. One is that family-friendly content is milk toast and is not entertaining, and that it is very formulaic. We can put that in the box over here, and I think other places continue to prove that and do it well.
“I think also that we are for all people. We are for just a sense of love and peace in the world, and we are deeply committed to inspiring and uplifting. Life is hard enough. We don’t need more divisive conversations, or to create more barriers.”
He added he wants people to “embrace the experience of Great American Media and feel entertained by the content that they see, the talent that they see on screen and the amount of commitment that we have toward raising the bar in this space, and making it high quality.”
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in November 2022, Bure, who is an outspoken Christian, said she moved from the Hallmark Channel to Great American Family because she thinks “that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” excluding same-sex couples in its movies.
Following her statement, “One Tree Hill” actress Hilarie Burton proceeded to call Bure a “bigot” on Twitter.
“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,” she wrote.
