Former Hallmark Star Candace Cameron Bure Says She Left Network to ‘Share the Gospel’

Nearly four years after Candace Cameron Bure made headlines for leaving Hallmark to advise and make movies for the new cable network Great American Family (GAF), the actress says she’s achieving her goal of making movies that incorporate and reflect her Christian faith, especially in Christmas movies.

“I feel like these movies have resonated so much,” Cameron Bure told Us Weekly in its cover story on December 17, 2025. “The channel has really leaned into that market and the people who are yearning for the name Jesus to be in Christmas movies — and I think that Great American will continue to lean even further into those types of stories.”

Meanwhile, in the years since Cameron Bure departed Hallmark along with several other stars, her former network has deepened its commitment to reflecting different faiths, cultures, and life experiences.

---

Candace Cameron Bure Says She’s Committed to ‘Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ’ in Her Movies

Getty

When Us Weekly asked Cameron Bure why making movies “rooted in religion” is important to her, the “Full House” alum answered, “Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the most important thing in my life, and I get to share this in creative ways as a woman of faith in the entertainment industry.”

In 2025, GAF has leaned more heavily than ever into reflecting and celebrating Christianity, from regularly posting Scripture on its social media feeds to featuring “traditional faith-filled programming” during Lent. Former Hallmark Media CEO Bill Abbott, who founded GAF after cutting ties with Hallmark in 2020, has written multiple emails on the topic to his network’s viewers over the 2025 holiday season.

In an email on December 6, Abbott wrote, “Over the past few years, something has happened to Christmas entertainment. The stories may still look familiar, but too often the values underneath them have changed. What once celebrated faith, family, and tradition has been quietly replaced with agendas, trend-chasing, and messages that have nothing to do with Christmas at all.”

Abbott noted that at his network and its streamer, Great American Pure Flix, “we are unapologetically moving in the opposite direction,” adding that “we aren’t interested in reinventing Christmas to fit the culture.”

When Us Weekly asked Cameron Bure about pushback she’s received and whether it’s been “worth it to be so open” about her religious beliefs, the actress replied, “The Bible says to go out into the world and share the good news with others, to share the gospel. To deny that in any part of my life would be denying the very thing that I’m so appreciative of, which is Jesus.”

---

Candace Cameron Bure Has Faced Intense Backlash for Comments

Getty

In 2022, Cameron Bure sparked controversy in an interview with the Wall Street Journal about her desire to put “Christianity back in Christmas movies.” When asked whether she thought her new network would ever feature LGBTQ+ love stories, Bure replied, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”

After two days of intense backlash online and in the media, Bure, who serves as Chief Creative Officer for GAF, issued a statement that said, in part, “All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people. It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone.”

In her December 17 interview, Bure told Us Weekly she has been “dropped from contracts and I have lost brand partnerships over the last few years, but I’m a fighter, man.”

Noting that she didn’t feel the need to clear up anything she’s said, Bure told the outlet, “The people who know me well know my heart. God knows my heart. And that’s what matters most to me. At the end of the day, not everyone’s going to like me, and that’s OK.”

---

Hallmark Channel & Its Stars Remain Committed to Diverse Stories & Characters

Getty

Meanwhile, Hallmark Channel also has many stars who are also open about their Christian faith, from Nikki DeLoach to Sarah Drew. But they feel their beliefs align with the network’s commitment to diversity, from incorporating other faiths into its stories (like its 2025 Hanukkah movie “Oy! To The World”) to featuring LGBTQ+ stars and storylines, including the December 21 premiere of “The Christmas Baby” starring two female leads, Ali Liebert and Kat Barrell.

In November, DeLoach told EntertainmentNow, “My faith tells me, as a Christian … before there were
Christians, Jesus was walking this earth, and he didn’t care (about) your religious affiliation, your gender, your race, your class, or socio-economic level. He just said, ‘Can I be of service? Where am I needed? I am just helping humanity.’ So that’s where my faith rests, and I believe in it wholeheartedly.”

When Hallmark head of programming Michelle Vicary rejoined the network in August after leaving in 2021, now reporting to Chief Branding Officer Darren Abbott, he told Variety that her commitment to inclusivity was one of the reasons she remains such a perfect fit there.

“The Hallmark brand is a brand for all people, and we always have been,” he said. “It is at the foundation of who we are, so we’re going to continue to lean in on that as well. We will be telling stories that reflect the world that we live in and the diverse storytelling that we can bring to the table.”

“That was important to Michelle, it’s important to me,” he continued. “That is part of the Hallmark brand. You can’t be a brand about connecting people if you’re not for all people, and so at the end of the day, that’s really important to us — whether it’s in the products we sell, the movies we make or the experiences that we’re creating.”