Tragic Details About Candace Cameron Bure
This article contains references to eating disorders, drug use, bullying, and mental health struggles.
With her bubbly disposition and reputation as Hallmark's golden girl, tragic details about Candace Cameron Bure can be surprising to discover. The LA native rose to fame back in 1987 when she starred as D.J. Tanner in the hit family show "Full House." The sitcom lasted eight seasons, ending in 1995, but was rebooted for Netflix in 2016 where Bure reprised her role.
These days, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Christmas" is one of the faces of The Hallmark Channel, starring in their "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries" series, as well as several of their famous holiday movies. Outside of acting, Bure is a devoted wife to former hockey player, Valeri Bure, and a mother of three now-adult children. She also remains close with her "Full House" co-stars and has openly supported them during their own public difficulties.
Notably, the actor stood by during Jodie Sweetin's drug use struggles and a messy split from her ex, telling E! News, "We're all super supportive of her, so she's good." She was also there for Lori Loughlin during her college admissions scandal. In a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards acceptance speech, Bure explained, "A loving family sticks together no matter what." (via Yahoo!). The TV star seemingly knows what it's like to go through tough times herself, having faced many of her own tragedies throughout her long Hollywood career.
A victim of bullying
When it comes to her childhood, Candace Cameron Bure told Good Housekeeping that she was just an "average, typical American kid," despite being a main character on the popular sitcom "Full House." She, of course, did stand out though and was apparently bullied by her classmates because of it, with Do You Remember suggesting that the young star was "shoved and verbally taunted" for "her looks and her fame." Eventually, school and acting seemingly became too much to deal with, and Bure got an on-set tutor.
Unfortunately, the bullying seemed to continue since fans of "Full House" would often negatively comment on Bure's weight. She told Yahoo Entertainment, "It was always ... even as a child, like, 'Wow, you're a lot smaller in person than you look on TV. You're so chubby on TV.'" She added, "It makes you perceive yourself in a way that you didn't even think you were, because other people keep speaking that into you."
Even as an adult, Bure continued to face criticism for her looks. In 2018, when Bure posted an Instagram photo alongside her son, someone left a mean spirited comment suggesting the actor looked larger than her husband. Bure, who appears to be over the body shaming these days, clapped back by writing, "If a 25 inch waist looks big to you ... then you're looking through an altered lens."
Candace Cameron Bure had an eating disorder
When her "Full House" days came to an end, Candace Cameron Bure struggled with an eating disorder. However, the actor doesn't blame the show, telling Good Housekeeping, "There wasn't a big focus on image and beauty from producers." She continued, "I never had people around me telling me that I had to look a certain way or be a certain weight."
Instead, Bure revealed to Self that it was right after getting married, when she moved to Montreal where she didn't know anyone and wasn't working as much, that her issues with eating began. She recalled, "I really had kind of lost that sense of who I was," adding, "I couldn't quite find my place." To Good Housekeeping, she elaborated, "I got into a cycle of binge eating and feeling such guilt and shame for that, then I would start purging ... it soon just took over to a point where you feel such a loss of control."
Eventually, Bure couldn't do it anymore. Speaking to Self, she explained that once she got to the root of the problem, she realized, "It all stemmed from emotional issues," and she was then able to reach out to her pastor for help. She reflected to Your Teen, "Finally, I went to God for my comfort and not food," and reflected to the outlet that "as a parent" she subsequently emphasizes "the importance of being healthy" via exercise and "food choices."
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Bob Saget's death was hard on her
Candace Cameron Bure was devastated over the tragic death of Bob Saget, her former "Full House" co-star and close friend. The actor died at age 65 on January 9, 2022 after suffering a head injury. A heartbroken Bure took to Instagram a day after his death to post a photo of them hugging, writing, "I love you sooooo much. I don't want to say goodbye." Days later she shared how special Saget was to her on Instagram, where she wrote, "We've always been so deeply connected since the day we met when I was 10 years old. You weren't just like a father, but one of my closest friends in life." She emphasized her suffering, adding, "This hurts like nothing I've ever felt before."
Sadly, Bure also expressed regret over their last text message exchange. She explained to Today, "We were going to have dinner. And we got into a little tiff. And his flight was delayed. We ended up not having dinner." However, she clarified that they quickly made up and even went on to express their love for each other. Bure tearfully recalled, "He said at the end, 'I love you more for the trouble you're giving me, if that's even possible.'"
While Saget's untimely death doesn't make her question her faith, the actor told Us Weekly, "I'm gonna have a lot of questions when I get to talk to God face-to-face one day."
Candace Cameron Bure is a target for trolls
Candace Cameron Bure is seemingly always under attack by social media trolls for just basically living her life. In January 2021, for instance, people took issue with a family photo Bure had posted on Instagram. In the comments, some people criticized her children's poses so much that she took to Facebook to vent, writing, "I posted my family Christmas photo and sadly, there were so many unkind comments." She even added, "Do you think it's funny to criticize someone's children?"
However, the trolling continued. In 2021, that included a simple photo on Instagram of her family attending a wedding, for which commenters lambasted her and her daughter for wearing red, while others judged her husband and son for not wearing socks. Bure has also had to defend a silly photo she posted that showed her husband grabbing her breast. She told Fox News, "So many people had an opinion on it ... I wasn't trying to make a statement."
Bure may have clapped back a few times, but for the most part, she chooses to ignore her haters. She told Life & Style, "I just don't focus on it. There's always going to be someone, and you're not going to please everyone."
Bure's Christianity has faced criticism
It's no secret that Candace Cameron Bure is very devoted to her Christian faith. She even told The Washington Post, "I'm not going to be shy about it ... and if for some reason, Hollywood doesn't accept me, I'm okay with that because my faith is more important than my career." That statement was apparently put to the test when the star came under fire for writing in her memoir, "Balancing It All," that she chooses to "fall into a more submissive role" in her marriage (via E! News).
She later clarified on HuffPost Live that she meant the controversial statement "in the biblical sense," which to her "just means allowing my husband to lead his family." Bure's faith apparently affected her stint on "Dancing With the Stars" too, by stating in a post-dance interview that she wanted to tone down the raunchiness of her rumba, stating, "I want to reserve certain things for my husband" (via ABC News). The actor continued, "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."
On the other side of things, Bure has also been criticized by conservative Christians for proudly enjoying her sexuality. In 2020, for example, she suggested to The Washington Post that she thinks, "there are many Christians that get it wrong" after she was criticized for an Instagram post showing her husband jokingly groping her breast.
The View proved to be emotionally exhausting
Candace Cameron Bure claims she has post traumatic stress disorder from co-hosting the talk show, "The View." The "Switched for Christmas" star admitted on the "Behind the Table" podcast, "The stress and the anxiety ... There was only one type of stress that I've ever felt in my life, that came from that show." Bure had appeared on the show from 2015 to 2016, and claimed from that time, "I have PTSD." She continued, "It was so difficult, and to manage that emotional stress was very, very hard."
Bure would cry every day in her dressing room and had a hard time keeping up with the demanding schedule. She recalled "doing 4-5 hours of homework a night," saying, "It was exhausting." She added, "Along with that, I was traveling back and forth from Los Angeles to New York every week to be with my family on the weekends."
What made matters worse was that as the conservative voice of the show, she "felt a pressure to represent" her "community." However, she was "legitimately nervous" to talk about certain things, knowing that she was "the only one at the table" with particular opinions, telling the podcast "I would just get sick to my stomach." Since leaving the show, Bure claims she has no regrets, but did admit to People, "It was one of the toughest jobs I've held ... I'd never want a permanent seat at the table again."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Bure got in a go-karting accident with Kirk Cameron
Candace Cameron Bure suffered a gruesome injury in 2018 when she was involved in a go-karting accident while on a family outing with her brother, "Growing Pains" star Kirk Cameron. She explained in an Instagram video filmed from a hospital bed, "Our fun family day ended with me in the emergency room." She continued, "I got into a go-karting accident, my brother ran me over. I'm waiting to see if I broke my hand or fractured it or what."
Bure went on to explain in her Instagram Story (via Daily Mail) that in the accident she also bruised her shoulder "pretty badly" but claimed that the worst part was getting her wedding rings off her swollen hand. She dished, "They got my rings off and that was one of the most painful things I had ever experienced."
The "Aurora Teagarden Mysteries" actor later gave an update to her concerned followers (via People), revealing that she was "fine" but did have "some damage to my hand, but it's not broken, and my shoulder, but it's not broken." Like a good older brother, Kirk also owned up to accidentally hurting his sister, confessing in her video, "I'm the culprit. I'm the crazy driver ... it was my fault completely, I tried to cut her off and take the lead, bad." While Bure went on to heal, it was presumably upsetting that the family time she was so happy to have ended with her in the hospital.
Candace Cameron Bure has struggled with depression
Candace Cameron Bure has been open about dealing with mental health issues. The mother of three seems to struggle with depression in particular but shared that she copes with it by moving her body. She explained to The Salvation Army Midland Division, "I need to keep my mental health clear. Just sweating that out and all those endorphins really help me a lot." She continued, "I notice a huge difference when I don't exercise, how much it can affect me mentally and kind of deal with depression."
These days though, Bure may face new emotional struggles with her children growing up and leaving home. In 2021, the former "Full House" star shared in her Instagram Story (via Today) that she cried when she dropped her youngest child off at the airport. She revealed, "I'm very sad that I didn't get to go to take him to college I had to just drop him off at LAX, and I'm getting no sympathy from someone," referring to her husband.
Despite her sadness, in true Bure form, she chose to find the bright side in the situation. She told Parade, "I am looking forward to fun with friends, new adventures with my family," adding, "I'm really excited to add an office to my house by using one of my children's bedrooms!" So while Bure has clearly faced her fair share of tragedies in life, she's never lost her sunny disposition and positive approach to fighting through.