In December 2018, Ukrainian-born Russian dancer Sergei Polunin posted a series of hateful comments on Instagram in which he promoted anti-gay violence and violence against plus-size people. The ballerino was eventually dropped from appearing in Swan Lake last February for the Paris Opera Ballet and has also lost a series of modelling and acting jobs, a TED Talks gig, and various sponsorships. There are now calls from gay rights groups for the star to be dropped from appearing in Romeo and Juliet in Verona this summer.
After these recent calls to action, online ticket retailer London Theatre Direct have followed suit and made the conscious decision to refrain from selling tickets for Sergei Polunin at the West End's London Palladium. These sanctions will remain in effect until Polunin issues a formal apology for his unacceptable and erratic behaviour. We at London Theatre Direct support a zero tolerance policy on hate speech and it is our firm belief that this sort of behaviour belongs nowhere near the West End stage or in the entertainment business.
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Read our article here for more information on Sergei Polunin and his inappropriate remarks.