Seyi Omooba Loses Appeal Over Being Fired from THE COLOR PURPLE for 'Religious Discrimination'

There is at last a conclusion to an ongoing court battle between Seyi Omooba and Michael Garrett Associates Ltd/ Leicester Theatre Trust Ltd. The former lost a case against the latter in 2021, when she took legal action against Curve after being dismissed from a production of The Color Purple for posts on social media that were deemed homophobic.

At the time, Curve Leicester announced that she would be ordered by the Employment Tribune to repay the costs incurred after legal action was taken against the Curve. 

Omooba has now officially lost her appeal of that decision, and today's judgment concludes that her religious beliefs were not the reason that she was fired.

Omooba was supported by the Christian Legal Centre in her action against co-producers Birmingham Hippodrome and Leicester Curve, claiming to be a victim of religious discrimination.

In 2019, Omooba was removed from Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome's revival of musical The Color Purple after West End Hamilton actor Aaron Lee Lambert shared a screenshot of her 2014 Facebook post. The post went viral, resulting in a social media outcry with many calling the actress homophobic.

In the post, Omooba said she did not believe people could be "born gay", and described homosexuality as a sin - "legal" but not "right". Lambert had questioned how she could star as Celie in this important LBGTQ+ work while holding such views. Omooba was removed from the production.