Inside The Drama Between Mark Steines And The Hallmark Channel

This article includes mentions of sexual harassment.

Mark Steines was a co-host of Hallmark's "Home & Family" talk show from 2012 to May 2018, when his firing became one of the biggest Hallmark Channel controversies. Initially, Steines' exit was presented as a parting of ways when the official Hallmark Channel account announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the host was leaving. "We are extremely grateful to Mark for his incredible work and wish him all the best success in his future endeavors," the announcement read. When fans expressed disappointment and asked why he was leaving, the Hallmark account told fans, "Shows evolve and change all the time," and continued to express gratitude for Mark's work.

One of Steines' representatives said the Hallmark host didn't know he was being let go until he was informed at work that it was his last day. The rep told People, "Hallmark gave us some vague reasons regarding 'creative' and specifically said it was not for cause. We have received nothing but positive reviews of him as the host of 'Hallmark Home & Family.'" The rep also brought up the show's Emmy nominations and high ratings before mentioning how upset the "Home & Family" team looked while announcing Steines' exit following his final episode.

Deadline reported that Steines' co-host Debbie Matenopoulos shared the sad news. The outlet also said Steines' firing wasn't because his contract was up, and he soon began to suspect why he was dropped by the network.

Despite the public-facing pleasantries from the Hallmark Channel, Mark Steines' exit was anything but amicable. The host began to suspect that his firing had to do with the 2017 allegations brought against former "Home & Family" executive producer Woody Fraser. In September 2018, Steines sued the Hallmark Channel's parent companies, Crown Media Family Networks and Crown Media Holdings, for wrongful termination and retaliation.

According to the suit details, shared by Deadline, Steines "through his representatives regularly warned and alerted Defendants that Executive Producer Woody Fraser harassed and verbally abused producers on the show. Defendants took no action on his complaints." Steines supported the women speaking out against Fraser and backed their sexual harassment lawsuit filed by powerhouse attorney Lisa Bloom. Steines was a witness for Bloom in the case against Fraser, and the host alleged that his testimony is why he was eventually fired from "Home & Family."

Bloom became Steines' attorney, and according to Deadline, she outlined what happened after Steines spoke against Fraser: "He alleges that after he did, everything changed, with the network taking away his voice-over work, diminishing his role on the network, reducing his profile at industry events, cutting his salary by 25%, and ultimately firing him months before the end of his contract."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Crown Media Family Networks denied the lawsuit claims that firing Mark Steines was connected to the allegations against Woody Fraser. In a statement (via People), the network said the decision was purely about low ratings and "the results of third party research indicated that Mr. Steines was perceived negatively." The network also said, "Crown Media is also surprised that Lisa Bloom is representing Mr. Steines in this matter since she has a consulting agreement with Crown Media."

Crown Media attempted to get Steines' lawsuit thrown out, but the dismissal was denied. With the case set to proceed, Lisa Bloom told Deadline, "We look forward to proving our case at trial, where we are confident we will prevail." However, Bloom never got that chance. Due to the previous work she had done with Crown Media, she was taken off the case. Steines eventually got a new legal team, but in January 2020, the lawsuit was dismissed due to both sides agreeing to drop the matter.

After Steines was booted from "Home & Family," Hallmark Channel star Cameron Mathison eventually took his place. Unfortunately, "Home & Family" joined the list of popular canceled Hallmark programs in 2021 as COVID-19 shutdowns complicated production.