Neal Bledsoe leaves Great American Family following Candace Cameron Bure controversy

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By Nasima Khatun

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Neal Bledsoe has announced that he will be stepping away from the Great American Family network following Candace Cameron Bure's controversial comments about same-sex marriage.

The scandal started last month when The Wall Street Journal published an interview with the 46-year-old actress in which she stated that she ended her relationship with Hallmark Media due to its decision to feature same-sex couples in its movies.

She then doubled down on her views by stating that during her new partnership with Great American Family (GAF), she will be "[keeping] traditional marriage at the core" of all her projects.

Her controversial comments were not taken lightly, with prominent LGBTQIA+ stars such as JoJo Siwa speaking out against them.

The 19-year-old Dance Moms alum slammed Cameron Bure as "rude" and "disrespectful" via a post on Instagram and in doing so, gained support from other stars such as Jodie Sweetin and Maddie Ziegler.

And the drama continues as Bledsoe recently announced his departure from GAF due to the Fuller House actress's comments.

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Credit: INSTAR Images LLC / Alamy

On Monday, in a lengthy statement to Variety, which was later re-posted to Instagram, the 41-year-old said: "My life wouldn’t be where it is today without the love, support, and guidance of the LGBTQIA+ community.

"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: "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. 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."

The actor then added that because of the comments made by Cameron Bure, he's been forced to re-think his career at GAF.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROUSEL, from left: Rachel Boston, Neal Bledsoe on ©Hallmark Channel. Credit: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy

"You may have noticed that I have been unusually silent at a time when I should have been promoting a holiday film, a film with the express purpose of bringing everyone comfort in a time of great tumult and change, but I cannot continue with business as usual.

"I cannot take comfort from, nor will I give refuge to, those who excuse exclusion and promote division in any way, shape, or form. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and these are mine: the recent comments made by leadership at Great American Family are hurtful, wrong, and reflect an ideology that prioritizes judgment over love. I was raised as a Christian, and believe in the essential message of love and forgiveness. That said, I could never forgive myself for continuing my relationship with a network that actively chooses to exclude the LGBTQIA+ community," he told the outlet.

Bledsoe then emphasizes that until GAF re-thinks their stance, he will be taking a step back from the network.

"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."

Featured Image Credit: AFF / Alamy