Great American Boss Breaks Silence on Candace Cameron Bure's 'Traditional Marriage' Comment
Candace Cameron Bure
Great American Family CEO Bill Abbott is clarifying the network's stance on LGBTQ stories after Candace Cameron Bure's controversial comments from last year.
While speaking to Variety in a new interview, Abbott was asked whether he agrees with the Full House alum's remarks from November 2022, in which she claimed that the made-for-TV Christmas movies channel "will keep traditional marriage at the core" of its content.
He replied, "I wouldn’t say whether it’s a matter of agreeing or not. Candace is chief content officer and has a point of view." Abbott mentioned that the company "definitely" relies on the Full House alum's judgement and "what she thinks is going to resonate best."
However, Abbott noted 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." He added, "Candace is great and leading the way in the business part of it. So we support her in that."
Interviewer Emily Longeretta then asked whether Bure should be viewed as a "mouthpiece" for Great American Family.
Abbott's response? "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 noted.
The CEO 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."
Longeretta posed the question point-blank: "When it comes to featuring same-sex couples in films, is that something you guys want to do or plan to do?" Abbott confirmed that Great American Family isn't "seeking to do anything or not do anything," instead taking "every day as it comes."
He added, "This business is so challenged across the entire industry right now — with the streaming model and with the linear decline and all the other pieces — that we’re just looking to celebrate great stories. We don’t have an agenda either way. It’s not in the faith-and-family playbook to have agendas that are either pro or anti. We want to entertain and inspire and be uplifting and consistently provide an experience that is high quality — that is our most important objective."
Next: JoJo Siwa Doubles Down on Her Stance Against Candace Cameron Bure
