BroadwayWorld has just learned that the court battle between Seyi Omooba and Leicester’s Curve Theatre (Michael Garrett Associates Ltd/ Leicester Theatre Trust Ltd.) has officially reached its conclusion. 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 lost an initial appeal of that decision in 2024.
Now, on March 13, 2026, a judge ruled that her submissions for an appeal were “nowhere near arguably meeting the threshold” to reopen the case.
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.
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.
