Hilarie Burton Calls Candace Cameron Bure a 'Bigot' for Championing GAC Family's 'Traditional' Programming

Candace Cameron Bure‘s reasons for joining the GAC Family lineup are not sitting well with Hilarie Burton.

The former One Tree Hill actress called Bure a “bigot” on Twitter Monday night, after stories began to circulate — including one published by TVLine — about Bure’s recent move to GAC Family from Hallmark Channel.

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“Bigot. I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy,” Burton wrote. “But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.”

As Bure told the Wall Street Journal in a new profile, she wants to “tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” adding that “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.”

Bure also told the WSJ not to expect any same-sex couples in GAC Family’s programming — “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” she said — which drew Burton’s ire, as well.

“Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry,” she wrote in a separate tweet. “I called this s—t out years ago when [ex-Crown Media Family Networks CEO Bill] 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.”

Abbott’s exit from Crown Media came in January 2020 in the wake of Hallmark’s handling of a commercial featuring a same-sex wedding, which was pulled from the channel and then reinstated. When the commercial was initially yanked, Burton — who had previously headlined three Hallmark movies — was among the celebrities to condemn the decision, writing that “the bigotry comes from the top and permeates the whole deal over there.” (Abbott has since rebounded as the new CEO of GAC Family parent company Great American Media.)

Reps for Bure did not immediately respond to TVLine’s request for comment.

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