Another star with Pine Valley roots has struck a deal with the heart and soul of television. Jonathan Bennett (ex-J.R. Chandler, All My Children) has partnered with Crown Media Networks in an exclusive, multi-picture overall deal.
"I am proud to be a part of @hallmarkchannel and the heartwarming stories we get to tell, that are based in love and family," Bennett shares on social media. "It's exciting that love and family means so many different things to so many different people, and Hallmark gives a giant platform for those stories to be told authentically. Sharing this news about this network and these stories is one of the most proud days I've ever had. Let's make some movies!"
In an official press release, Bennett also shares, "I am so proud of the work I have done in my Hallmark movies. Most recently with back-to-back GLAAD Media Award nominations for The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls. I'm so fortunate and proud that Hallmark is a champion for representation. I can't wait for all that is ahead."
But his new movie deal isn't the only exciting news in Bennett's life at the moment. The star also married his sweetheart, Jaymes Vaughan, last weekend! The actor shared the news on Instagram along with photos and the caption, "Our wedding was all about throwing out the 'traditions' and creating our own day. That included getting ready TOGETHER before the ceremony. And we wouldn't trade it for the world. That time together was so special. As LGBTQ+ people the wedding space is still relatively new to us, so make it your own. It's your day, do what is right for you."
Bennett and Vaughan got engaged in 2020 after Vaughan surprised his love with a very unexpected proposal.
"I was told we were going to be taking family Christmas card photos and that's why Jaymes's photographer friend Eric [Ita] was here along with my photographer nephew Andrew [Herner]. But then no one would look me in the eye and I was like, 'What is going on?!' I later found it out it was because they didn't want to spoil what was about to happen," Bennett shared at the time.
He continued, "My sister shouted for me to come outside 'real quick' and my F.O.M.O. [fear of missing out] kicked in so I ran outside. Then I looked over and saw Jaymes holding a sign that said 'We never did find our song, so I wrote it for you.' That's when I knew I was getting proposed to because it was the same type of sign he made when he told me he loved me for the first time. And then I began to ugly-cry the ugliest cry anyone has ever cried."
Bennett got his start in the entertainment world playing Adam Chandler's son on AMC in the early 2000s. He shot to fame after appearing in the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls and has taken on countless projects since, some of which include competing on Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother, and hosting MTV's Copycat and Food Network's Cake Wars. More recently, he appeared on Station 19 and starred in the indie feature Potato Dreams of America, and he's set to host iHeart's PrideCast Podcast.
With his Crown Media Family Networks deal, Bennett follows in the footsteps of several other soap alums, including Lacey Chabert (ex-Bianca Montgomery, AMC), Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa Donovan, Days of our Lives), and Trevor Donovan (ex-Jeremy Horton, DAYS), all of whom have also signed deals with the media company.
Would you like to share congratulations with Jonathan Bennett on getting married? What do you think about him inking a multi-picture deal with Crown Media Family Networks? What kind of movies would you like to see the actor make in his new relationship with the company? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
