Former “Wonder Years” actress Danica McKellar is weighing in on the current controversy over her Great American Family (GAF) co-star Candace Cameron Bure’s comments on traditional marriage.
McKellar chose to defend Bure after their fellow co-star Neal Bledsoe quit the network amid the uproar.
“Neal is a wonderful person,” the 47-year-old actress told Fox News Digital. “He’s such a great actor and I have enjoyed working with him so much. He and I both share our love and support of the LGBT community for sure … I don’t agree with his interpretation of her comments. I just didn’t see them the same way.”
Earlier this month, Bledsoe publicly resigned from the network after Bure and GAF chief executive officer Bill Abbott told The Wall Street Journal that the network will focus on “traditional marriage,” which stands in contrast to The Hallmark Channel publicizing same-sex love stories. Notably, the pair did not rule out these storylines in the future, but rather said it’s not a focus at this time.
“My life wouldn’t be where it is today without the love, support, and guidance of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Bledsoe wrote in a lengthy statement on the matter.
“As someone who struggled as a young man with our society’s extremely narrow definition of masculinity, it was their community that provided me with refuge and a guiding light when my life felt lost. And now, if I cannot stand up for that community in their time of need, my debt to them means nothing,” he continued.
“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.”
“I hope GAF will change, but until everyone can be represented in their films with pride, my choice is clear,” Bledsoe shared. “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.”
Meanwhile, Bure weighed in on the situation, saying she never intended to exclude or offend anyone with her statements.
“It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone. It saddens me that the media is often seeking to divide us, even around a subject as comforting and merry as Christmas movies. But, given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever,” Bure wrote in a statement shared to Instagram.