Candace Cameron Bure Responds After Miss Benny Alleges Homophobia on Fuller House Set

Candace Cameron Bure said she never "asked Miss Benny's character to be removed from Fuller House" after Benny called out an unnamed cast member for alleged homophobia on the sitcom series.

By Angie Orellana Hernandez Jul 07, 2023 3:07 AMTags
Watch: Candace Cameron Bure Denies Miss Benny Homophobia Claims

Candace Cameron Bure is responding to a claim about alleged homophobic behavior on Fuller House.

The actress denied accusations of anti-LGBTQ+ behavior on set after co-star Miss Benny called out an unnamed cast member for allegedly not supporting her queer character on the sitcom series.

"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 said in a statement to E! News July 6. "Fuller House has always welcomed a wide range of characters."

Moreover, Bure praised Benny for her "great" performance as Casey, the first queer character on Fuller House. Benny played Casey for two episodes on season one and did not return again, per IMDb.

"We didn't share any scenes together, so we didn't get a chance to talk much while filming on set," Bure added. "I wish Miss Benny only the best."

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Fuller House Cast Bids Farewell to Series

Bure's comment comes after Benny shared a TikTok July 5 about "things I ate and survived," in which she included, "homophobia on the Fuller House set."

When a fan asked, "Fuller House? Who was homophobic, was it Candace," Benny elaborated further.

"One of the Tanner sisters was very publicly… not for the girls, if that makes sense," she said. "I remember I got sat down by the writers and the studio to basically warn me how this person allegedly was trying to get the character removed and not have a queer character on the show."

Alberto E. Rodriguez, Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Benny, who came out as transgender last month, continued, "I was also sort of warned and prepared that this person's fan base might be encouraged to target me specifically."

Bure played DJ Tanner on Fuller House, opposite fictional sister Stephanie Tanner, who was portrayed by Jodie Sweetin. Benny did not disclose which Tanner sister she was referring to. 

"The fact that this teenage actor who's coming in to make jokes about wearing a scarf is suddenly a target from an adult is crazy to me," Benny continued. "To this day, despite working on the show every day for two weeks straight, I have only had a conversation with one of the Tanner sisters."

Despite the alleged onset behavior, Benny, who now stars on Netflix's Glamorous, said she had a "really fun time actually shooting the show with all the other actors who were willing to talk to me."

"And the show ultimately led to me being on Glamorous on Netflix. So everything happens for a reason," she said, adding how it "continuously blows my mind how queer people, specifically queer young adults and children, are being targeted and having to advocate for themselves against adults."

E! News has reached out to Benny, Netflix, Jeff Franklin Productions and Sweetin for comment on the claims but hasn't heard back.

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Last year, Bure found herself embroiled in another controversy after she said the Great American Family network would "keep traditional marriage at the core," which sparked backlash from those who accused her of not supporting same-sex marriage. At the time, she clarified, "I have great love and affection for all people."

Bure spoke about the outrage in February, where she described "cancel culture" as real and difficult.

"It's hard but listen—I just want to encourage you that you are not the only one and there are lots of us and we are always stronger together," the 46-year-old said on the Unapologetic with Julia Jeffress Sadler podcast. "And you have to find your community and know the word of God."

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