A Christian actress is suing her former agency and the theatre where she had a starring role in the musical, The Colour Purple, before being let go over Facebook comments expressing a biblical view of homosexuality.
On 14 March, Seyi Omooba was awarded the lead role of Celie in Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome's co-production of the play, based on Alice Walker's classic American novel.
A day after her casting was announced, she was tagged on Twitter by Hamilton actor Aaron Lee Lambert with a screenshot of a Facebook post she had written over four years ago on 18 September 2014 in which she said that she did not believe people could be "born gay" and that Christians should stand up for what they believe in.
"Some Christians have completely misconceived the issue of Homosexuality, they have begun to twist the word of God," she wrote in the post.
"It is clearly evident in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 what the Bible says on this matter. 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 it is right.
"I do believe that everyone sins and falls into temptation but it's by the asking of forgiveness, repentance and the grace of God that we overcome and live how God ordained us to. Which is that a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24.
"God loves everyone, just because He doesn't agree with your decisions doesn't mean He doesn't love you. Christians we need to step up and love but also tell the truth of God's word.
"I am tired of lukewarm Christianity, be inspired to stand up for what you believe and the truth #our God is three in one #God (Father) #Jesus Christ (Son) #Holy Spirit."
Mr Lambert, in his Twitter post, asked Miss Omooba if she still stood by her previous comments.
"@seyiomooba Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you've now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately," he wrote.
Miss Omooba, daughter of pastor Ade Omooba, who was this year awarded an MBE for voluntary service, has said she does not agree with the interpretation of Celie as a lesbian character.
Her Facebook post triggered a backlash from other members of the performing arts community, including Holby City actress Amy Lennox, who said on Twitter that she would boycott the show if a "bigot" was part of the cast.
In a statement a few days later, the Curve and Hippodrome issued a joint statement saying that "following careful reflection" in light of the "significant and widely expressed concerns" over Miss Omooba's comments, she would no longer be involved in the production.
She was later released from her talent agency, having allegedly been told that their confidence in her had been "irretrievably eroded".
Since the controversy broke out, Miss Omooba says she fears she has been blacklisted in the performing arts community and has struggled to find acting work.
The Christian Legal Centre, which is representing Miss Omooba in her lawsuit, said she had been told by one agency she had approached that it would only work with her if she came "to her senses on this matter".
The theatre has offered to pay Miss Omooba the full wages she would have received for playing in the performance but she has rejected this offer and is asking the Employment Tribunal for a formal ruling that the theatre acted unlawfully and discriminated against her because of her Christian beliefs.
Commenting on her decision to go to Employment Tribunal, Miss Omooba said she felt as though she had to choose between her career and her faith.
"When I received the email that I was going to be dropped from the cast, I was heartbroken. The theatre has offered me a financial settlement, but I am not in this for the money. For me it's not about the money or my face – it was about telling and expressing Celie's story, as I interpret it as a performer, because that is what I love to do," she said.
"For me, Celie is a complex character. I do not think it is possible to clearly define that she is a 'Christian' or a 'lesbian.' Celie has to grow up so fast, but in her mind she is just a child trying to navigate through and overcome the many trials and tribulations that life throws at her.
"The people who know me, know that I have no hatred as a result of my faith; only love.Yet the theatre and the agency gave me the choice of either losing my career or renouncing my faith. I could not do this, not even to save the career that means so much to me.
"I want our society to be more open to both sides of the debate and to accept that many Christians do not believe homosexual practice is right. Even though there are differences in belief, we need to be more loving to each other, we need to understand each other's struggles - that is what my post in September 2014 was all about. No one should be treated as I have been because of expressing these beliefs."
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "What happened to Seyi Omooba was cruel and has damaged the career of a highly talented young artist for a Facebook post she had made four years ago.
"Here you have a young Christian woman, with what critics have described as having a 'ferocious' talent, being sacked and blacklisted for expressing what the Bible says about homosexual practice, the need for forgiveness and God's love for all humanity. This is another in a string of cases involving Christians being hounded out of their careers because they love Jesus.
"The presence of a homosexuality theme in the play is a very poor excuse for discriminating against a Christian actress. If we were talking about a lesbian actress playing a Christian character, nobody would dare to suggest that her sexual lifestyle would make her unsuitable, and that you could fire her without breaking the law.
"This story sends a chilling message to Christians, not only in the theatre profession but across our society, that if you express and hold mainstream Biblical views, you will be punished and will lose your career if you do not immediately renounce your beliefs.
"This cannot go unchallenged and we are determined to fight for justice in this case."
