Hallmark Stars Who Aren't Shy About Their Political Views

Hallmark stars may specialize in delivering sugar-sweet holiday cheer and fairy-tale romances on screen, but off-screen? Some aren't afraid to shake up their squeaky-clean image by voicing bold political opinions that often spark as much debate as their feel-good films.

Hallmark movies aren't exactly what you'd call politically charged. In fact, the network was built on escapism, offering a refuge from the chaos of modern life. Ed Georger, Hallmark Media's head of ad sales, once proudly touted the channel as "a reprieve from the onslaught of noise and negativity." And for the most part, that's true. Its claim to fame is its drama-free, controversy-light programming. Even so, Hallmark has started to edge into more inclusive territory, having dabbled in LGBTQ-centric projects. "Diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us, and we look forward to making some exciting programming announcements in the coming months, including announcements about projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters and actors," George Zaralidis, the vice president of network program publicity, noted in a statement in 2020.

Hallmark is still miles away from being the go-to for political storytelling and mostly prefers to keep things vanilla. But some of its stars — past and present — are anything but. Whether it's Candace Cameron Bure doubling down on her Republican identity or Carlos and Alexa PenaVega teaching their kids to root for Donald Trump, these actors have made it clear they're not afraid to be loud and proud about their beliefs.

Candace Cameron Bure may no longer reign as Hallmark's queen, having jumped ship to the Great American Family during the exodus of stars migrating to the newer network. But the "Full House" alum has never been shy about her conservative beliefs — especially when it comes to faith. Her status as an unapologetic Republican and conservative Christian is practically her personal brand, and it's one of the reasons she left Hallmark in the first place. Unlike her former network, which has begun dipping into LGBTQ storylines, Bure made it clear that Great American Family won't be following suit. "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core," she told The Wall Street Journal. 

Bure's political leanings also played a key role in her decision to leave "The View." Holding the conservative seat on a panel with liberal hosts proved to be a battle she didn't want to fight. "'The View,' by far, was the toughest job," she admitted in a "The View's Behind the Table" podcast episode (via Newsweek). "And as soon as Donald Trump won that election, I was like, this has got to go, because I could not, I did not want to be the punching bag for the next four years in that conservative seat ... And it wasn't worth it to me." That said, Bure isn't blindly loyal to her party. She's called out Republicans, including Donald Trump, when their behavior didn't sit well with her. She once expressed her disappointment with Trump's mockery of rival John Kasich's eating habits, saying in an interview with Fox News, "And you listen to Donald talk about how unpresidential John is eating, and how unpresidential are you being by pointing that out, Donald?"

Hilarie Burton is the anti-Candace Cameron Bure in just about every way — and she's not afraid to let the world know it. As one of the celebrities who can't stand Bure, she didn't hold back when Bure explained her departure from Hallmark, calling her out on X, formerly Twitter, with a stinging post. "Bigot," she wrote. "I don't remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank." Ouch!

But if that sounds harsh, Burton isn't exactly one to sugarcoat things. Known for her outspoken activism, the "One Tree Hill alum" has embraced her role as a loud-and-proud advocate for her beliefs. In an interview with Interview Magazine, Burton explained why she feels compelled to speak out on various issues. "I am in a position where if I never work again, my husband works a lot. It's a position of privilege," she shared. "And to not use that privilege seems really irresponsible. We all get different tools, and mine, I guess, has been a big mouth. Not a 'nice girl,' remember?"

That "not a nice girl" energy also fuels her social media presence, where she routinely calls out politicians whose values clash with her own. Donald Trump is, unsurprisingly, at the top of her list, and she's made her stance crystal clear. "If you support Donald Trump, you are a racist," she once said in a tweet. "There is no gray area."

Bethany Joy Lenz may not be as politically loud as her "One Tree Hill" co-star, Hilarie Burton, but when she does weigh in, she makes it count. Back in 2017, amid the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Lenz made her stance crystal clear by taking aim at Trump supporters who dared to be critical of the disgraced Hollywood mogul, insinuating that they were being hypocrites. "By the way, if you voted for Trump, you don't get to talk s*** about Harvey Weinstein," she wrote in a post on Facebook.

Since then, Lenz has stayed mostly quiet on politics, but she's been refreshingly open about her faith — including her time in a cult. What started as a harmless Bible study group took a dark turn when a pastor got involved. "It was very benign when it started. Just a group of artists who loved God and wanted to read the Bible together. I was like, 'Oh, thank God. Like, I've been thirsty for this," she told USA Today. "That's when things really turned. But it happened so slowly that I just didn't notice it at first."

Fortunately, Lenz eventually broke free of that group and has since returned to her faith, though not without some scars. Speaking to Us Weekly, she opened up about the lingering impact of having been part of a cult. "When you screw with someone's ability to trust God — to trust that there's a greater force out there that loves you and can contain you and hold you — then you're left flailing in your humanity," she explained. "I've never been atheist, so I don't know what the mindset is for somebody that doesn't believe in God."

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega have officially traded in Hallmark for GAC, and if we're to guess, it probably has something to do with the same reasons Candace Cameron Bure made the switch. The couple also wears their conservative Christian beliefs on their sleeves and didn't shy away from making their political allegiances clear during the 2024 election. In a joint post on Instagram, they proudly shared that even their kids were on team Trump, sparking a wave of backlash from fans. "Something special happened while putting Kingston to sleep. We had just ended our prayer and he asked if he could add a prayer for Donald Trump," the post read. "He began to pray a sweet prayer for him."

Fans were quick to slam the post, with many calling out the couple for hypocrisy, questioning how their support for Trump aligned with their supposed values. "Leading with love and then voting the antithesis of love into office?? Make it make sense," one fan said, while another brought up Alexa's experience with losing her child. "If Alexa had her miscarriage under Trump, she would have died ... What do you guys not understand about his war on women?" But Alexa responded by directing critics to an anti-abortion activist. "that's actually false. Please check out what @lilaroseofficial has posted on the misinformation out there on this," she wrote. Then there was the accusation that the PenaVegas were manipulating their kids into praying for Trump, a claim Alexa was quick to shut down. "We didn't ask," she insisted. "That's what made it so amazing. Sweet boy asked us if he could pray for both trump and Kamala. It was beautiful."

Then there's Jonathan Bennett, who's not here for the government's backslide on LGBTQ rights — and he's got no problem saying so. Frustrated by the political regression on the issues of the queer community, the "Mean Girls" star expressed his disappointment at how quickly progress can unravel. "We did so good, and we swung so hard, and we got really close to where we wanted to be," he told Newsweek. "And then it started sliding back in a way, you know what I mean? Like, it was very bizarre."

But instead of throwing his hands up, Bennett decided to do what he does best: tell stories that matter. After starring in Hallmark's first gay lead storyline, he found his true passion. "I realized after I did the first 'Christmas House' on Hallmark, that my purpose on this earth and my job was to tell queer stories to a broad audience," he added. "That's a very specific thing. I tell queer stories to a broad audience. I don't tell queer stories to just a queer audience, which is a different type of storytelling. I tell it in a way that puts the humanity of the character at the forefront and puts the relatability character at the forefront."

While many of his peers have jumped ship to Great American Family to avoid, well, this kind of storytelling, Bennett isn't going anywhere. "I wake up every morning and I'm so proud to be part of Hallmark Channel because of the inclusive storytelling they're doing for the LGBTQ+ community," he shared with Entertainment Weekly. "Hallmark Channel is for everyone. It feels good to see stories that look like mine on screen."