The Dark Side of Candace Cameron Bure That Everyone Overlooks

Television viewers watched Candace Cameron Bure grow up before their eyes. As a child actor in the early 1980s, she worked on an array of TV shows, including “St. Elsewhere,” “Punky Brewster,” and others. That led to her being cast in “Full House,” playing D.J. Tanner until the series ended in 1995. The following year, she married Valeri Bure, a Russian hockey player.

For the next decade, she toiled away in television guest spots and made-for-TV movies, transitioning from teenage roles to adult ones. In 2008, she starred in “Moonlight & Mistletoe,” the first of many Hallmark Channel movies, leading to her own franchise, “The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries,” and a Netflix reboot of “Full House,” titled “Fuller House.” Around the same time, Bure spent two seasons on “The View,” serving as the conservative voice on the all-female panel.

After a decade of success with Hallmark, Bure signed an exclusive deal with upstart competitor Great American Family. For those paying attention, the circumstances surrounding that move were steeped in controversy. To find out more, keep reading for a look at the shady side of Candace Cameron Bure that everyone ignores.

Despite the fact that Candace Cameron Bure and Raven-Symone were former child stars who appeared on beloved TV sitcoms, they clashed frequently when they appeared together on “The View” due to Bure’s conservative views and the latter’s recent declaration of being an out lesbian.

That opposition came into focus during a 2015 episode discussing an Oregon bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. When Raven-Symone described the bakery’s stance as discrimination, Bure disagreed. “This is about freedom of association, it’s about constitutional rights, it’s about First Amendment rights,” she said. “We do still have the right to choose who we associate with.” Her co-host, giving her a side-eye glance, fired back, “I refuse to associate myself with you right now.”

Bure insisted the bakers were expressing their belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She later revealed that she shared the bakery owners’ view, which contributed to her controversy.

In 2017, Candace Cameron Bure posted a photo on Instagram, attired in a t-shirt with the phrase, “NOT TODAY SATAN.” Bianca Del Rio, a drag queen who popularized and merchandised that phrase, issued a scathing response, accusing Bure of homophobia.

Bure responded by saying she was not homophobic and accused Del Rio of marshaling an online army of trolls to attack her. “Why do you have to be nasty to me? You don’t know me or my heart,” Bure wrote. “I’m not homophobic. Loving Jesus doesn’t mean I hate gay people or anyone.”

In 2020, Candace Cameron Bure posted a photo on Instagram with her husband Valeri Bure’s hand resting on her breast. Social media followers criticized her for this display of public affection, deeming it inappropriate or immoral.

Initially stung, Bure removed the photo but later reposted it with videos stating that it was a display of her happy marriage. “He can touch me any time he wants, and I hope he does,” she said. “This is what a healthy, good marriage and relationship is all about.”

After a horrific mass shooting in the U.S., Kristen Bell praised Dick’s Sporting Goods for their common-sense gun control measures on Instagram. Bure objected to Bell’s wording, suggesting she diminish the role of prayer. “How about instead of diminishing prayers (which are powerful), you re-caption ‘in addition to prayers’ here is something really great,” Bure responded.

Bell did not respond to Bure’s comment.

In 2021, Candace Cameron Bure shared a TikTok video intended to be spiritually inspirational. She was deluged with comments criticizing her behavior as inappropriate for brandishing a Bible while lip-syncing to Lana Del Rey’s song “Jealous Girl.”

Bure quickly responded, saying she didn’t intend the video to be seductive or sexual but to showcase the strength of her faith. She told viewers, “So many of you thought that I was trying to be seductive, which clearly means I’m not a very good actress because I was trying to be strong, not sexy or seductive.”

Candace Cameron Bure spearheaded Netflix’s “Fuller House.” In 2018, a new character, Casey, played by Miss Benny, was introduced. Miss Benny claimed she was warned someone was trying to get her queer character removed from the show.

Bure denied she had anything to do with these decisions. “I never asked Miss Benny’s character to be removed from ‘Fuller House’ and did not ask the writers, producers or studio executives to not have queer characters on the show,” she said to People.

Hallmark Channel yanked a TV commercial featuring a same-sex couple in 2019. The backlash led the network to revamp its programming, debuting two gay-themed Christmas movies in 2023.

Abbott formed GAC Media, rebranding Great American Country as Great American Family Network, with Bure joining GAC as chief creative officer. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Bure implied her exit from Hallmark was due to its foray into gay-friendly programming, stating, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”

Candace Cameron Bure’s comments about “traditional marriage” sparked outrage and were condemned by “One Tree Hill” alum Hilarie Burton. Burton accused Bure of bigotry, tweeting, “Now they’re just openly admitting their bigotry… You too Candy. There is nothing untraditional about same-sex couples.”

Bure later responded on Instagram, taking no ownership of her statements and instead criticizing the media for fanning the flames of conflict and hate.

Bure’s comments continued to resonate with her “Fuller House” co-star Jodie Sweetin. Sweetin shared a message from actor Holly Robinson Peete that criticized the word “traditional” for its historical use to discriminate against others.

Peete wrote, “When we hear the words ‘traditional’ marriage to describe one type of marriage, it belittles the love and commitment that many legally married people have for each other.”

Out-and-proud pop star JoJo Siwa shared a story on TikTok claiming Bure was the rudest celebrity she’d met. According to Siwa, Bure refused to pose for a photo at a red carpet event when Siwa was just 11 years old.

Bure responded on Instagram, admitting she had no recollection but had talked it out with Siwa. Siwa held no ill will, acknowledging it was an unfortunate timing that marred her experience.

Siwa’s mom later emphasized on her podcast, “At the end of the day this story, it’s not about a simple photo it’s about how you treat people,” illustrating the main issue with Bure’s behavior.

Candace Cameron Bure’s public image took a hit following her comments on “traditional” marriage. She attributed the backlash to the influence of cancel culture.

“Cancel culture is real and it is difficult,” she declared in a 2023 appearance on the “Unapologetic” podcast. She encouraged her supporters to band together against this phenomenon, stating, “We are always stronger together.”

When Paris hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony featured a controversial segment with drag queens in a tableau inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Bure called it “disgusting” and accused it of mocking the Christian faith in a video posted on Instagram.

Fellow “Full House” alum Jodie Sweetin criticized Bure’s comments, remarking on Instagram Stories, “Tell me you don’t know about art or history without TELLING me you don’t know about art or history,” as reported by Entertainment Weekly.