Hallmark To Reinstate Ads Featuring Same-Sex Couples After Intense Backlash: ‘This Was The Wrong Decision’

The Hallmark Channel has reversed its decision to remove ads featuring same-sex couples after intense backlash from fans and celebrities alike. The announcement comes less than a day after the channel removed ads from the wedding planning website Zola that featured lesbian couples after a complaint from the conservative group “One Million Moms.”

In one of the removed ads, two women stood at an alter and pondered whether using the website Zola would have made planning their wedding easier. At the end of the ad, the two women shared a short kiss.

Last week, One Million Moms—part of the conservative American Family Association—called for a boycott on The Hallmark Channel after seeing the ads.

“One Million Moms is asking Hallmark to stay true to its family friendly roots that so many families have grown to love, and to keep sex and sexual content – including the promotion of homosexuality – out of its programming,” a post on the group’s official Facebook page read. “Please sign our petition asking Hallmark to do what is right and reject airing movies and commercials with LGBT content!”

WATCH: Tamera Mowry Always Wanted To Be In A Hallmark Christmas Movie And Her Wish Has Come True!

The plea temporarily worked. Hallmark ended up removing four of the six ads Zola had submitted—the only ones featuring same-sex couples. Zola then pulled the remaining two by choice, according to The AP.

“The debate surrounding these commercials on all sides was distracting from the purpose of our network, which is to provide entertainment value,” Hallmark’s SVP For Public Affairs And Communications Molly Biwer offered as an explanation, according to the AP. “We just felt it was in the best interest of the brand to pull them and not continue to generate controversy,” she later continued.

Hallmark’s decision was not taken lightly by many high-profile celebs.

“Isn’t it almost 2020?” Ellen Degeneres tweeted, also tagging Hallmark’s CEO Bill Abbott. Ellen and the rest of social media’s call to action worked: Hallmark issued an apology and announced it would reinstate the ads.

In a statement, Hallmark’s parent company Crown Media apologized for the initial removal. “The Crown Media team has been agonizing over this decision as we’ve seen the hurt it has unintentionally caused. Said simply, they believe this was the wrong decision,” the statement from Mike Perry, President and CEO of Hallmark Cards said.

“We are truly sorry for the hurt and disappointment this has caused.”

Seems like the ads will be reinstated just in time for Christmas!

Both NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Zola.