Rising actress Seyi Omooba has been fired from a UK revival of ‘The Color Purple’ musical after homophobic remarks she made were uncovered.
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The comments above were published in 2014 and were unearthed by a critic which prompted the producers of the ‘Purple’ to snatch back her lead role as Celie.
In a statement, The Curve & Birmingham Hippodrome (who are jointed presenting the play) confirmed her axing saying:
“On Friday 15 March a social media post dating from 2014, which was written by the The Color Purple cast member Seyi Omooba, was re-posted on Twitter. The comments made by Seyi in that post have caused significant and widely expressed concerns both on social media and in the wider press.
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.”
The clear irony lay in the fact that Omooba’s comments sit at total odds with the character she’d be playing (who is bisexual); as well as the field she’s in (which has a pronounced LGBTQ presence).
And while one may wonder whether it’s fair to hold her accountable for comments made five years ago, a recent co-star of hers in another production (‘Little Shop Of Horrors’) alleges that she made her anti-Gay stance clear there too: