Seyi Omooba: Actor fired over ‘homophobic’ comments plans to sue for religious discrimination
Christian star intends to take theatre and former agents to court for breach of contract and religious discrimination
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Actor Seyi Omooba has said she is planning to sue a theatre and her former agents after she was fired from the play The Color Purple over a “homophobic” Facebook post.
In March, Omooba was given a starring role as Celie – whose relationship with another woman is a central part of the story – in a stage adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel set to run in Birmingham and Leicester.
The actor was then dropped by both the Curve theatre in Leicester and her agents, Global Artists, after Hamilton star Aaron Lee Lambert resurfaced a Facebook post Omooba had written in September 2014.
Omooba had told Christians to “tell the truth” about homosexuality in her post, writing: “It is clearly evident in I Corinthians vi, 9-11 what the Bible says on this matter. I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexual practice is right.”
She also wrote that Christians “have begun to twist the word of God” when it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality.
In March, Lambert tweeted: “Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation.”
Omooba, who denies that Celie is a lesbian character, said the theatre and her agents asked her to apologise but she refused. She plans to sue for breach of contract and religious discrimination.
She is now being represented by the legal arm of Christian Concern, the organisation co-founded by her father, pastor Ade Omooba.
According to The Stage, Christian Legal Centre claimed Curve had offered to pay Omooba’s full wages to avert a lawsuit, but said she rejected the offer and is now seeking an employment tribunal ruling, arguing that “the theatre has acted unlawfully and discriminated against her because of her Christian beliefs”.
Christian Legal Centre is also claiming that Global Artists removed Omooba from its books without offering the two months’ notice to which it says she is entitled.
Producers have told the BBC they are so far unaware of any legal action.
Standing by its statement, the Curve said “significant” concerns about Omooba’s post led to the decision to remove her from the play.
The Independent has contacted Global Artists for comment.
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