Actress dropped from The Color Purple over anti-gay posts plans to sue

29th September 2019

The actress claimed that homosexuality was a choice and refused to take part in London Pride celebrations.

Earlier this year, actress Seyi Omooba was dropped from a production of The Color Purple after homophobic messages from her past resurfaced online.

Omooba had been cast as an LGBTQ character in the production, but shortly after the casting reveal, anti-gay comments made by her on her Facebook account in 2014 emerged, where she implied that being gay is a choice and said: “I do not believe that homosexuality is right.”

Following an online backlash, Curve Leicester and Birmingham Hippodrome issued a joint statement announcing that Seyi Omooba had been removed from the production.

“The comments made by Seyi in that post have caused significant and widely expressed concerns both on social media and in the wider press,” they said.

“Following careful reflection it has been decided that Seyi will no longer be involved with the production. This decision was supported by the Authors and Theatrical Rights Worldwide.”

There was some speculation, and hope, that Omooba had progressed from her views, however she remained silent over the issue, and is now planning to sue Curve Theatre and her former agents Michael Garrett Associates over a breach of contract.

She also claimed that she was a victim of religious discrimination, and hadn’t been invited to any auditions or secured a new agent following her firing from the production and her previous agents letting her go.

She has claimed she’s not homophobic, but that she was simply quoting “what the Bible says about homosexuality” and “the need for repentance, but ultimately God’s love for all humanity.” She also said she stood by what she previously said, and would’ve changed her Facebook privacy settings had she known the post would have led to her being dropped.

Although Michael Garrett Associates haven’t commented on the matter, the Curve Theatre has said it stands by its previous joint statement with the Birmingham Hippodrome.