Over the past few weeks, the Hollywood star Candace Cameron Bure has found herself being targeted by the cancel culture mob after she said that her new network Great American Family will be focusing on content that focuses on “traditional marriage.”
Now, Cameron Bure has taken another hit involving this scandal, as GAF actor Neal Bledsoe has announced that he will be leaving the network in protest over Cameron Bure’s comments.
"I hope GAF will change, but until everyone can be represented in their films with pride, my choice is clear. I look forward to working with creators who put no limits on the stories we tell and follow through on their message of values with open arms" – Neal Bledsoe pic.twitter.com/nPRtu626gl
— Ho! Ho! Holiday Viewing! (@SleepyKittyPaw) December 5, 2022
Bledsoe Sounds Off
Bledsoe, 41, announced on Monday that he will be leaving GAF in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community.
“My life wouldn’t be where it is today without the love, support, and guidance of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Bledsoe told Variety.
“From my mentors in college, to the myriad of agents and managers, writers and directors, teachers and colleagues, and, of course, my dear friends and family, who have all touched my life, I owe them a great debt,” he continued.
Join us in wishing Neal Bledsoe, star of "The Winter Palace," a very Happy Birthday! 🎂 #GACfamilyTV #HappyBirthday #TheWinterPalace @becauseibledsoe #StoriesWellTold #GACers pic.twitter.com/WTlxY90QZC
— Great American Family (@GAfamilyTV) March 26, 2022
Bledsoe went on to credit this community for helping him to work round “society’s extremely narrow definition of masculinity” by giving him “refuge and a guiding light.”
“And now, if I cannot stand up for that community in their time of need, my debt to them means nothing,” he added. “So, I want to be very clear: my support for the LGBTQIA+ community is unconditional – nothing is worth my silence or their ability to live and love freely in a world that we are lucky enough to share with them.”
Not stopping there, Bledsoe said the he has not been promoting his upcoming GAF movie “Christmas at the Drive-In” because he couldn’t keep doing “business as usual” in the wake of comments that he described as “hurtful, wrong, and reflect an ideology that prioritizes judgement over love.”
"Don't give up before the miracle!" #ChristmasAtTheDriveIn, a special, nostalgic #GreatAmericanChristmas original movie, with @danicamckellar & Neal Bledsoe, premieres TONIGHT at 8p ET / 5p PT on #GreatAmericanFamily!🎄📽#ChristmasAtTheDriveIn #WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/MAU9TVXYsL
— Great American Faith & Living (@GAlivingTV) November 25, 2022
US Magazine reported that “Christmas at the Drive-In” is Bledsoe’s second movie for the GAF network, with his first being “Winter Palace,” which came out earlier this year. Like Cameron Bure, Bledsoe previously worked with the Hallmark Channel, starring in “Coming Home for Christmas” for the network back in 2017.
🚨 NEW TALENT ANNOUNCED! 🚨 Picture this: The Winter Palace meets Summer Getaway 🌴👙☀️ We are THRILLED to be adding Danica McKellar and Neal Bledsoe to the lineup for RomaDrama Live in Palm Beach on June 24-26, 2022!
.@danicamckellar @becauseibledsoe pic.twitter.com/eZthNg5HNL— WeAreRomaDrama (@WeAreRomaDrama) February 15, 2022
Related: Candace Cameron Bure Slammed As A ‘Bigot’ After Defending ‘Traditional Marriage’
‘I Was Raised As A Christian’
“I was raised as a Christian, and believe in the essential message of love and forgiveness,” Bledsoe said. “That said, I could never forgive myself for continuing my relationship with a network that actively chooses to exclude the LGBTQIA+ community.”
While Cameron Bure’s name was never mentioned, Bledsoe referenced her recent comments that GAF will be keeping “traditional marriage at the core” of its content.
“Freedoms of speech or religion, or even the freedom to express beliefs that I might vehemently disagree with, are not the issue here,” he said. “This is about someone in an executive position speaking about deliberate exclusion on behalf of an entire network. This is why the phrase ‘traditional marriage’ is as odious as it is baffling.”
“Not simply wrong in its morality, it’s also a moot point, when you consider that most romantic movies don’t feature married couples at all, nor even weddings, but simply people meeting and falling in love,” Bledsoe stated.
Happy Birthday to Neal Bledsoe @becauseibledsoe #hallstarbirthday #hallmarkies pic.twitter.com/lFy6bI4yoC
— Hallmarkies Podcast (@HallmarkiesPod) March 26, 2022
Cameron Bure Stands Her Ground
Despite the backlash Cameron Bure has received over her “traditional marriage” comments, she’s refused to back down.
“I have long wanted to find a home for more faith-based programming. I am grateful to be an integral part of a young and growing network,” she told People Magazine last month.
“I had also expressed in my interview, which was not included, that people of all ethnicities and identities have and will continue to contribute to the network in great ways both in front of and behind the camera, which I encourage and fully supports,” she added. “I’ve never been interested in proselytizing through my storytelling, but in celebrating God’s greatness in our lives through the stories I tell.”
Full support for Hollywood actress Candace Cameron Bure, a devout Christian, who is facing backlash from woke mob for saying that Great American Family network, a channel she is associated with "will keep traditional marriage at the core" of program broadcast. pic.twitter.com/mPdVxPz5Vl
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) November 18, 2022
Cameron Bure has long been known as one of the few openly conservative Christian actresses in Hollywood, so this isn’t the first time she’s been targeted by the cancel culture mob. While it’s sad that Bledsoe has chosen to cut ties with her and her network so publicly, something tells us that Cameron Bure will have little trouble finding another actor to replace him.