Christian Actress Fired Over Religious Post Loses Appeal

Christian Actress Loses Appeal After Being Fired for Religious Post

March 19, 2024 TruthUSA

Christian actress Seyi Omooba, who was removed from her leading role in the stage adaptation of “The Color Purple” due to a controversial Facebook post made in 2014 regarding homosexuality, is facing legal fees exceeding $414,000 as determined by judges at the Employment Tribunal London. Although her claims of discrimination, breach of contract, and harassment were dismissed, the tribunal has instructed her to pay the legal costs of her former agency and the Curve Theatre in Leicester where she was set to perform. The final amount she must pay is still pending further evaluation.

Ms. Omooba initiated a legal battle after suing Leicester Curve Theatre and Global Artists Agency for discrimination and breach of contract following her dismissal from the lead role in the planned stage production in 2019.

The controversy stemmed from a Facebook post by Ms. Omooba in September 2014 expressing her Christian beliefs on homosexuality amidst legislative changes on same-sex marriage. In the post, she stated her belief that homosexuality is not inherent and that homosexual activities are not morally acceptable, citing biblical references to justify her position.

The post mentioned, “I do not believe you can be born gay, and I do not believe homosexual practice is right, though the law of this land has made it legal doesn’t mean its right.”

Despite subsequently being cast as the lead character Celie in “The Color Purple,” Omooba’s attorneys from the Christian Legal Centre argued that she did not view Celie as a lesbian character and was not explicitly informed of the character’s sexual orientation. Lawyer Pavel Stroilov highlighted the ambiguity surrounding Celie’s sexuality in the film adaptation and contended that Omooba was not obliged to depict her as a lesbian.

In response to the tribunal’s decision, Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, criticized what she perceived as an act of censorship and discrimination, viewing Omooba’s case as indicative of broader societal concerns. Williams denounced the tribunal’s ruling as favoring ideological uniformity over religious freedom and vowed to challenge the judgment. Christian Concern is known for handling significant legal cases supporting Christians facing discrimination in the workplace due to their faith. Their services extend beyond this to offer assistance and counsel to various individuals.

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In a press release on the Christian Concern website, Ms. Williams stated, “This is an open and shut case of discrimination against the Christian faith if there ever was one. Seyi was racially abused, received death threats and was hounded out of her career for a polite and temperate expression of what the Bible says about marriage. An unjust ruling which defends her sacking cannot stand and we will be taking this to the Court of Appeal.”

A 2021 joint statement from Curve Theater’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster, published on the theater’s website, reads: “We are pleased Seyi Omooba’s claims against Curve have been rejected by an employment tribunal. Seyi Omooba accepted a lesbian part in our production of THE COLOR PURPLE knowing full well she would refuse to play this iconic gay role as homosexual. We believe the case had no merit from the outset, and should never have been brought to the tribunal.”

The Epoch Times contacted Christian Concern for a statement.

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