Hallmark Media CEO Wonya Lucas — who oversaw the company’s transition into embracing more LGBTQ-friendly storylines — will step down.

According to a report published Tuesday by The Hollywood Reporter, Lucas will stay until year’s end, and will remain on the Hallmark Media board of directors — and Hallmark Companies CEO Mike Perry will manage the transition as she exits.

“I am honored to have led this company and am tremendously proud of the progress we’ve made by creating an evolved entertainment experience that inspires meaningful, emotionally connected moments for our audiences,” Lucas said in a statement. “My passion for the Hallmark brand has grown in deeply rewarding ways and will remain paramount as I continue to help guide Hallmark Media’s future in a more strategically focused capacity.”

After three years at the helm, Hallmark Media President & CEO Wonya Lucas will exit her current role at the end of year, the company announced Tuesday. Lucas will continue to serve on the Hallmark Media Board of Directors https://t.co/gWPBmYlXCv

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 8, 2023

Lucas came to Hallmark from TV One in 2020, taking the reins from former CEO and President Bill Abbott after backlash over Hallmark Channel’s removal of a commercial featuring a same-sex couple — and one of her priorities while at the helm was to increase “representation.”

Lucas’ arrival followed a promise from Perry for Hallmark Channel to work with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ) to create a more inclusive environment and promote more diverse storylines. During her tenure, the channel not only introduced several LGBTQ+ supporting characters but also premiered its first feature film centered on a same-sex relationship.

But while Lucas the niece of late baseball legend Hank Aaron oversaw a move to more diverse and “inclusive” programming, she also oversaw the abrupt exits of a number of the network’s biggest stars.

Candace Cameron Bure, who headlined a number of holiday films for the network in addition to starring in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, announced in 2022 that she was joining ex-CEO Bill Abbott’s new venture — Great American Family — which would keep the focus on traditional marriage and faith-based storylines.

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Among the other actors who made the jump from Hallmark to Great American Family are Trevor Donovan, Jennie Garth, Daniel Lissing, Lori Loughlin, and Jen Lilley.

The judge presiding over special counsel Jack Smith‘s 2020 election case against Donald Trump rejected a request by the former president’s lawyers to delay a hearing on a protective order proposal.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is based in Washington, D.C., issued an order on Tuesday scheduling the hearing to take place on Friday at 10 a.m. ET and waiving the requirement of the defendant’s appearance.

The order made its way to the docket a couple hours after Smith’s and Trump’s teams sent a joint filing in response to Chutkan’s demand that they settle on two dates and times for when they would be available to appear for a hearing by the end of the week.

While Smith’s team said the government is available “any time” Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, Trump’s legal team asked that the hearing be pushed back until next week because of scheduling issues.

“President Trump will not appear. However, he would like to have both his counsel John Lauro and Todd Blanche at the hearing,” their response said.

“Todd Blanche is not available on Thursday, since he must appear for a court proceeding in the protection brought against the same defendant, President Donald, by the Special Counsel in [the Southern District of] Florida,” they added. “Mr. Lauro is available on Thursday, with a preference for an afternoon setting. However, since we lost Friday as an option, we would respectfully request a setting on Monday (after 12:00 p.m.) or Tuesday (all day) to allow for both Mr. Blanche and Mr. Lauro to be present.”

The joint filing did not explain the assertion that Friday had been “lost” as an option. The Daily Wire reached out to Trump’s lawyers seeking comment on the judge’s order on Tuesday.

Last week, Smith’s team filed a request for a protective order — one day after Trump’s arraignment in Washington, D.C. — following the former president posting to Truth Social in all capital letters, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”

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Noting that want to provide the defense with discovery materials “as soon as possible,” prosecutors said they wanted a variety of restrictions aimed at preventing the disclosure of sensitive evidence and warned that Trump publicly revealing certain information could “have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case.”

Trump’s lawyers filed their response to Smith’s proposed order just before the deadline at 5 p.m. ET after Chutkan denied their request for an extension over the weekend. The defense asked for a narrower protective order while raising concerns about Trump’s First Amendment rights being unduly constrained. In addition, they asked for a hearing on the matter “at the earliest convenient date.”

After Smith’s team rebuffed the counter-proposal by Trump’s lawyers, Chutkan made the ruling on Monday night that ordered both sides to work out possible hearing dates and times.

Trump, who is running a 2024 campaign for another term in the White House, has pleaded not guilty to charges over an alleged effort to overturn the results of the last presidential contest. In a post to Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump raised conflict of interest concerns regarding Chutkan, noting her past work at a law firm that also had employed Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.

The former president has broadly denied any wrongdoing while claiming he is the target of a “witch hunt” as he faces multiple criminal indictments on both the federal and state levels — including charges in another, documents-related case brought by Smith. In June, a judge granted a protective order that restrained Trump from disclosing evidence in the documents case.