The Truth About Candace Cameron Bure

You probably watched Candace Cameron Bure evolve from a child to a teenager to a young woman right before your eyes If you grew up in the late '80's and early '90s. She was Full House's "Deej," a character she knows she'll always be eclipsed by — and she's perfectly fine with that. In an interview with Good Housekeeping, the now-adult actress said, "If I am forever known as D.J. Tanner and everyone's big sister, I will be thrilled and happy."

Indeed, the show's 2016 Netflix reboot thrust the actress back into the spotlight — as did her stint as a co-panelist on ABC's The View. And, of course, there was her shining, shimmying moment as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. Did we also mention she's a Hallmark holiday movie mega-star, an author, a devoted wife, and a mom of three? 

Cameron Bure has certainly kept busy as America's sweetheart throughout the years, but that doesn't mean she's shied away from controversy, either. As an evangelical Christian, she has come under fire for her often-conservative, occasionally divisive views. Want to know more? Here is the truth about Candace Cameron Bure.

Candace Cameron Bure told Your Teen that, while her religion and faith permeate everything she does in life, she was not always a devout Christian. She was already 12 years old when she and her family found a second home in their church. "We all grew in our faith," she said. It wasn't until she was a young adult on her own that she "truly became a Christian." 

The Fuller House actress elaborated in a separate interview with Fox News that her religion and belief in God helps to shape her professional decisions, public persona, and private choices. In fact, she has turned down several projects because she felt strongly that they didn't align with her belief system and dedicated dogma. Sometimes those choices were obvious, while other times turning down an opportunity was a real kick in the gut. But her outlook has always remained positive. "I can always go back to the word of God and find ... the trust that I know I have in Jesus. And so it never fails, even when life doesn't go the way I want it to or had planned it to," she said. "I know that God's in control of everything."

As a conservative Christian, Candace Cameron Bure served up her fair share of strong opinions during her time as a co-host on ABC's The View, chatting (or arguing) with co-panelists that included Raven-Symoné, Joy Behar, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Cameron Bure doesn't sugarcoat the experience. "That was the most difficult job I've had to date," she told Good Housekeeping, acknowledging that her conservative views made her go head to head with her celebrity peers. "It's harder, so you always feel like you're fighting to speak your opinion." She and co-host Raven-Symone sparred whilst talking about the Supreme Court ruling that determined an Oregon bakery discriminated against a same-sex couple. Cameron Bure defended the bakery's stance, while the former That's So Raven star shot daggers and gave shade (via HuffPost). On another occasion, Cameron Bure left a taping mid-show after clashing with Goldberg, according to the New York Daily News. Although later in the day, she tweeted that she had the flu.

Cameron Bure admitted to Fox News that all the political drama wore on her, "not because I don't believe that my viewpoints and opinions are important but I would much rather share Jesus with people," noting, "That's really my passion."

Starring as D.J. Tanner on Full House in the 1990s put Candace Cameron Bure in the spotlight as a kid and teen. Her developing body and changing form was front and center every week on network television. But Cameron Bure told Your Teen that her battle with bulimia at 19 had nothing to do with her celebrity status or pressure from the industry. "It was about finding comfort in food when I was having a tough time and then not wanting to gain weight from overeating," she shared. Nowadays, she prioritizes her health and wellness, and she tries to model this behavior for those that look up to her — including her now-adult children. She told Your Teen, "As a parent I try to stress the importance of being healthy by exercising and making good choices with food."

Cameron Bure is a total gym buff who loves to get fitness on. But it's no longer about getting skinny or looking a certain way. She told Good Housekeeping that she enjoys the challenge: "I love that I'm getting stronger physically as I get older. ... Now, I just feel really good."

In 2015, Candace Cameron Bure posted a photo of herself wearing a holiday sweater featuring the likeness of Jesus and Santa Claus on Facebook. While many fans and friends enjoyed the jolly fashion statement, other evangelical Christians took to the comments section with scathing words of disapproval, claiming that the actress was showing disrespect to God and the true meaning of the holiday season. 

But Bure wasn't having any of it, and she defended her clothing choice. She wrote, "For all the naysayers — let me tell you what this sweater means to me: Christmas for most, is about Santa, the 'holidays' presents and cheer... But for me, it's Jesus." She continued, "So while you may see this graphic as polar opposites or even blasphemy, I see this sweater as a bridge between commercialism and the real meaning of Christmas, that invites conversation." 

Candace Cameron Bure might be known as D.J. Tanner thanks to her long stint on Full House in the late '80s and 'early 90s, as well as its 2016 Netflix reboot, Fuller House. But to others, she is equally famous for her perky presence in Hallmark's holiday movie lineup. Cameron Bure has graced the small screen in no less than 20 of these hokey, feel-good films — and we're sure there are more to come. She relishes every merry moment as the "reigning Queen of Hallmark," as Parade called her, and she's appeared in some of the best Hallmark movies that are totally worth your time. 

Cameron Bure, who also serves as producer to her Hallmark holiday content, shows no signs of slowing down. "They are an incredible network to work for," Cameron Bure, whose appearances in the network's TV movies have helped Hallmark Channel become must-watch television, told Parade. "They highlight women in the industry. As a female that acts, produces and directs, they support us incredibly." Plus, she told The Washington Post that Christmas is her favorite holiday — so why not mix business and pleasure?

She also launched her own lifestyle collection for Hallmark's company, Dayspring. The line includes fashion, stationery, and Bibles. She told The Washington Post that her brand's "message is to love one another ... a pretty universal message."

Candace Cameron Bure has been married to her-hockey playing husband, Valeri Bure, since 1996, after they were introduced by Full House's Dave Coulier (via Woman's Day). So, what's the key to their long-lasting relationship? Submissiveness, apparently. In Cameron Bure's book Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose, the actress and outspoken conservative Christian outlined her belief for a woman's role in marriage. "I am not a passive person, but I chose to fall into a more submissive role in our relationship because I wanted to do everything in my power to make my marriage and family work," she wrote, as reported by HuffPost.

She clarified during an interview with HuffPost Live that she was using the Bible's definition of the word "submissive," meaning "meekness." She added, "It is strength under control, it is bridled strength." 

Furthermore, in her book, she wrote that there can't be two authorities in any given situation. This why she lets her husband take the lead on making decisions and calling the shots. Still, she said her husband takes her thoughts and opinions into consideration, and that this is key to their marriage's success and longevity (via ABC News). 

Candace Cameron Bure and her husband have over two decades of marriage under their belts (with have three grown children to prove it), but the two still like to get flirty — a little too flirty if you ask some people. 

In September of 2020, the actress posted a photo album on Instagram of herself and Valeri Bure posing on a bridge. In the first photo, he's lovingly kissing her on the head. In the second, he's, well, lovingly cupping her breast. Cameron Bure simply captioned the moment, "Sweet and spicy." Fans and foes had a lot to say about this PDA pic, and they came out with pitchforks in the comments' section. Cameron Bure defended her choice to post the frisky snapshot in an Instagram story, saying, "I'm sorry if it offended you ... I'm actually not sorry... He can touch me all day long" (via E! News).

And she had feedback for Christians who condemned her; she told The Washington Post, "Once you get married, I think that there are many Christians that get it wrong, that they feel like you have to pretend like you're not having sex or you're not enjoying your sex life."

For someone who considers herself a conservative person, Candace Cameron Bure really stepped out of her usual comfort zone to embrace her sensual side and get her boogie on when appearing as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.

When show host Erin Andrews asked about how she finds a happy medium on stage, balancing her religious beliefs with her own ability to show some skin and do her thing, the actress said that she is willing to find compromise, but that she would never sacrifice her deep-rooted values for a higher score. "You know, I feel like a sexual woman... I am a sexual woman. But, you know, I want to reserve certain things for my husband," she said in a behind-the-scenes clip on the show (via E! News). "My life revolves around my relationship with Jesus Christ, so with the overall tone of the dance or the costumes, I'm not going to take a backseat. My voice will definitely be heard."

Candace Cameron Bure is a Jill of all trades. In addition to being a television star, Hallmark Channel movie regular, and former talk show panelist, she is also a children's author and budding vintner. 

She and her husband, Valeri Bure, own a two-acre piece of property in St. Helena, Calif., just outside of Napa Valley, and, according to The Napa Wine Project, they use the place as a second getaway home. What's more, they enjoy the fruits of their labor — and so can you! The couple harvests their grapes and has their own wine label: Bure Family Wines. 

The actress certainly knows how to keep her schedule busy. In between sipping her signature wine and apparently doing all of the things, she pens sweet children's books. "It is truly is one of my favorite things to do," she told Today. She hopes that one day she'll have grand-babies to share her books with. "I really look at these books now as books for my grandchildren," she said. "This is something I'm so happy to gift to them and I have a feeling one of my next books will be with a grandma in there."

Candace Cameron Bure pretty much grew up with a second family: her Full House gang. She told Good Housekeeping that Bob Saget was her "mentor growing up... He was very nurturing to us kids... making sure we were protected." When the sitcom family had their second act on Netflix's Fuller House almost two decades later, it was like a happy reunion; they picked right up where they left off. 

In an interview with E! News, Cameron Bure revealed that she's on a daily text chain with co-stars Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin. But when she needs life advice, she turns to John Stamos and Lori Loughlin.

What's more, she considers Loughlin a dear friend. When asked about the actress' involvement in the 2019 celebrity college admissions scandal, Cameron Bure kindly declined to answer — silence is golden, and so is friendship in her book. But she did recount looking up to the actress when she was a kid; she told Good Housekeeping she was struck by how "so incredibly beautiful" Loughlin was.

Candace Cameron Bure had her first child when she was just 22 years old, and now her three babies are all grown up. As a young wife and mom, she faced her share of growing pains, as she stepped out of the spotlight, got used to her new role, and found the parenting style that worked for her — despite people perpetually shelling out advice about "what was right and what was wrong," as she told Today.

When her kids were still, well, kids, Cameron Bure told Your Teen magazine that her teens would probably consider her "strict." She elaborated, "I think I am a fun mom, but I am not trying to be their friend. I don't confuse that."

Now an empty nester, Cameron Bure is looking forward to the next stage of life with her older kids. When her son Lev got engaged in August 2020, she celebrated the milestone on Instagram: "This mama/mama-in-love can't wait for wedding planning shenanigans."

As someone who regularly defended her controversial personal stances as a co-host on The View, Cameron has had a lot of practice standing up for herself. 

No doubt about it, Cameron Bure is not one to take heat in stride — she will fight back and put you in your place with strong but still kind words and that signature mega-watt smile of hers. When a follower body-shamed her on social media, saying that, despite all her dieting and exercising, she looked bigger than her husband in a shared photo on Instagram (it was actually her son in the picture, not her husband), Cameron Bure clapped back. She simply replied (via People), "If a 25 inch waist looks big to you ... then you're looking through an altered lens. Be well." Sugar, spice, and everything nice! Clearly, Cameron Bure will not let passive aggressive cyber bullies get the best of her.

When her contracts for The View and Fuller House were both renewed in 2016, Candace Cameron Bure had to take a step back and make a call. She decided that she could no longer juggle multiple jobs and that something had to give for the sake of her sanity and her family life. In this case, it was her gig as a talk show panelist that had to go. "The commute of going West Coast to East Coast every single week for me has been tough on me and hard for my family as well. I want to make sure that I am able to spend as much time with my children," she said on The View. She continued, "I tried to be Superwoman, but I'm gonna not try anymore."

Cameron Bure also wrote about the juggle of life in her book Balancing It All. "There are definitely seasons in our life when we need to focus on a particular area of our lives, but we end up in trouble when our identity is tied to what is just supposed to be a priority," she wrote (via Goodreads).

Candace Cameron Bure's childhood and teenage years may have been full of happy times with family, friends, and co-stars, but she certainly did not have the typical coming-of-age experience most young girls face as they move up through the ranks of high school. Still, she told Good Housekeeping that her experience growing up in the spotlight didn't make her more vulnerable to turbulent times like many other young stars of her generation. In fact, she told the publication that she saw herself as an "average, typical American kid" at the time. And so, despite being a small-screen star, the so-called average gal could not miss the opportunity to go to her very own high school senior prom. 

But who did she take to the iconic affair? Why Steve (aka Scott Weinger), of course. Yes, Cameron Bure mixed business and pleasure, taking her on-screen boyfriend to her actual senior year party. It was enough to make show fanatics squeal (or, you know, comment) with sheer delight when Cameron Bure recounted the experience in a throwback post on Instagram: "#TBT to my real life senior prom with @scottweinger. Yup, this really did happen (Awwwww.)" How sweet!