Heavy A former "DWTS" finalist disputes allegations regarding her former gig.
A former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant is pushing back against an allegation made by a former guest star from her best-known franchise. Candace Cameron Bure competed on season 18 of “DWTS” with professional dancer Mark Ballas, and the pair finished in third place. At the time that Bure hit the dance floor on season 18 in the spring of 2014, fans knew her primarily from her years doing the show “Full House,” and the reboot “Fuller House” had not debuted yet. Not long after her season on the dance competition, Bure and much of the original “Full House” cast joined together to create “Fuller House.” Now, a former guest star from the reboot has made some strong allegations about treatment on the set. Bure, however, has disputed the actor’s claims.
Here’s what you need to know:
A ‘Fuller House’ Guest Star Alleged Candace Cameron Bure Tried to Eliminate Her Character
As IMDb notes, during season 4 of “Fuller House,” which aired in 2018, an actor now going by the name Miss Benny was a guest star who portrayed a gay teenager. The actor now stars in the new Netflix series “Glamorous,” which also stars Kim Cattrall, and Miss Benny recently came out publicly as transgender. The actor’s character in “Fuller House” was that of a gay, male, teen, and in a couple of recent TikTok posts, Miss Benny alleges she faced homophobia on the set.
In the initial TikTok post, Miss Benny shared a few things she had survived during previous acting gigs. One of those things was described as “homophobia on the fuller house set.” Some of Miss Benny’s fans wanted more information on that particular tidbit. “Fuller house? Who was homophobic was it Candace,” questioned one person. Miss Benny responded “queue some nervous fidgeting. #fullerhouse #greenscreen #candacebure,” and linked to a new TikTok video. The character of Casey was apparently the first gay character incorporated into the franchise, and Miss Benny explained that one of the “Tanner sisters” was quite publicly “not for the girls,” signaling that the “Fuller House” star she was referencing was not supportive of the LGBTQ community.
Miss Benny claims that while filming, she was sat down by writers and the studio and cautioned that one of the “Fuller House” actors was trying to get the character eliminated, due to the character being gay. Miss Benny also said she was warned that the actor’s fan base might “be encouraged to target me, specifically.” While Miss Benny ultimately enjoyed the opportunity to do the “Fuller House” episodes, she said she only ever had an actual conversation with one of the Tanner sisters. She did not name Bure specifically, but did use her name in hashtags. In addition, only Bure and Jodie Sweetin were “Tanner sisters” involved in “Fuller House,” and Sweetin has been quite vocal in her support of the LGBTQ community.
Candace Cameron Bure Denies Miss Benny’s Claims
People reports that via a statement from Bure, she did not push for Miss Benny to be axed from “Fuller House.” “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,” Bure detailed. “‘Fuller House’ has always welcomed a wide range of characters… We didn’t share any scenes together, so we didn’t get a chance to talk much while filming on set. I wish Miss Benny only the best,” Bure continued.
Bure has faced heat over her feelings toward the LGBTQ community before. In November 2022, she talked about how she felt her new network, Great American Family, would continue to focus on “Traditional marriage” rather than same-sex couples. In May, a statement Bure made about not eating fast food sparked drama when an old photo from 2012 of her supporting the chain Chik-Fil-A and their stand against same-sex marriage resurfaced.
While Bure has not posted about this situation with Miss Benny on her Instagram page, her latest post did get some comments from critics regarding the situation. A number of people commented with just rainbow emoji or flags, but some were more specific.
“🌈🏳️🌈🌈🏳️🌈🌈🏳️🌈 lady, you are on the WRONG SIDE of this story,” wrote one commenter.
“You use[d] to be one of my favourite actress since I was a kid. You should use your fame to advocate for others rather than throwing shade. Shame on you! 🌈🌈 ” added another.