Candace Cameron Bure on clapping back at haters: 'It came from a mother's heart'

“Fuller House” star Candace Cameron Bure knows social media can be a double-edged sword. While she’s able to do fun things with it such as promoting her latest children’s book, “Candace’s Playful Puppy,” she also knows she’s subject to scrutiny being in the spotlight.

“Being a celebrity posting on Instagram always comes with the territory of receiving some criticism,” she said in an interview with TODAY.

However, the actor recently felt the need to take to Facebook and clap back at haters after some of her 4.7 million Instagram followers scrutinized a Christmas family photo she posted, attacking her family’s looks, facial expressions and more.

Part of her message read, “I wished blessings upon everyone as I shared it in the spirit of a happy new year, yet so many of you came back with jokes about our appearance and criticism of what you thought would have been a better photo. Shame on you. It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 or 90 years old, rude is rude. Be better than that.”

The mother of three stated why she felt it was important to stand up for her family and speak out.

“That was the time where I was like, ‘You know what, this isn't just me. Now you're talking about my kids. And this isn't right.’ So I had to speak up on behalf of my children and my family and remind people that we are real people. There was nothing about that post that was controversial. It was a family Christmas card — it was simply a photo and to be criticized was disheartening.”

Bure said it wasn’t just one or two mean comments about her post. “It was hundreds and hundreds, and to which many of them I had deleted before it even went viral. So no one really understood the magnitude and the amount of comments because I had deleted so many of them.”

After shutting down the haters with her post, which racked up nearly 60,000 replies, she revealed that some people issued an apology to the TV star and her family.

“The ones that really made the difference were the people that came back and said, ‘You know, I'm sorry, I did make a joke. And I was just trying to be funny. But I didn't realize that that could be hurtful. And I'm sorry that I said it.’”

As for why Bure thinks her message resonated with so many, “I think because it was very human, it came from a mother's heart,” she shared. “I think that everyone has experienced that and felt that at some time in their life — when they're hurt by things that may seem like a funny joke to another person, or when they're trying to put their best foot forward and someone just laughs at them for it. I feel like it's something common for all of us to feel every now and again from other people.”

The 44-year-old also opened up about why she recently took to Instagram to address several of her followers who voiced their disapproval in whom she follows on the app.

“I try to read as many comments as I can on my social media. I really do love social media and I love that it connects all of us,” she revealed. “It was that particular day, I had had several messages in a row from people telling me that they were either unfollowing me or disappointed in me because of who I follow. I went, ‘This is so strange, why all of a sudden is this becoming a thing, and I'm getting all these messages about it?’ So I just decided to put it on my story and address it. I really was just trying to address the people who follow me on Instagram. I wasn't really trying to make a bigger statement than that.”

Despite the criticism, Bure revealed that aside from a “self-imposed” break she takes between Christmastime and New Year’s, she’s not going to let the naysayers deter her from using social media.

“I don't see any reason otherwise to go off of it,” she shared. “I just think that there's so much more good that I receive from social media and that I put out compared to the bad stuff. I'll keep using it as a platform for me to share good news and positivity and kindness.”

The bestselling author used Instagram this week to share the good news that her third children’s book, “Candace’s Playful Puppy,” was releasing.

The book is about a young Candace whose patience is tested when she visits an animal shelter to adopt a cuddly new dog and instead ends up with a rambunctious puppy, who even makes an escape.

Bure explained that she can relate to this book with her own dog, Boris, who frequently guest stars in her Instagram posts.

“He did get out one time,” she said of her 130-pound Rottweiler. “None of us were home and there was a patrol car in our neighborhood. I can't believe he was not scared, but he knew Boris because he would patrol the neighborhood and would see him,” she explained. “So he saw him and Boris was just having the time of his life. He was going from house to house just sniffing the flowers and checking everything out. He managed to get Boris in his patrol car and dropped him back off at our house.”

She added, “We called him and were like, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you so much.’ But that was the only experience and thankfully, it was a good experience — nothing bad happened.”

The book, which Bure hopes shines a light on pet adoption, was released the same week as the first shelter dog, Major Biden, moved into the White House.

“I thought it was super exciting and so sweet. Hopefully, that'll shed even more light on pet adoption and just remembering your local shelter if you're choosing to look to get an animal.”

Published by Zonderkidz, “Candace’s Playful Puppy” is now available to order.