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Tomi Adeyemi, author of the novel “Children of Blood and Bone,” said the upcoming Paramount film adaptation of her book was “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and “I never want to hear about this project
again” in a five-minute video posted on Wednesday.
Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film, had previously spoken out about how she wouldn’t watch the “Children of Blood and Bone” movie based on her African fantasy novel after being on set for its production.
“What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said in the social media clip. “It’s a reality that I’ve had to live with for about a year and a half, and everyone involved, at least at the highest level, has been made aware of this reality, and they haven’t done anything to make it better. If anything, they’ve only antagonized me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.”
Adeyemi alleged that she left the “Children of Blood and Bone” set “hyperventilating and sobbing” and that she is “still being antagonized behind the scenes.” Representatives for Adeyemi, Paramount and director Gina Prince-Bythewood did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
“I’m not going to speak on what I endured to make it through the young adult trilogy, and I’m not going to speak about everything that I also suffered through or endured to make the adaptation a reality,” Adeyemi said. “I’m actually only going to speak about what happened after I left that set of my own film adaptation, hyperventilating and sobbing. There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret. I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks. I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
“But as it is being marketed,” Adeyemi continued, referencing the trailer which launched on Tuesday, “And as I am still being antagonized behind the scenes, which is where I hoped all of this would stay, it’s become apparent to me that reality needs to at least be made known, so that you guys can understand how this film, which I worked on to make it a little better for us to be alive, is also the worst thing I have ever had to live through.”
Earlier this month in a since-deleted TikTok video, Adeyemi posted what appeared to be a group chat that included “Children of Blood and Bone” actor Amandla Stenberg. Adeyemi wrote, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me” and appeared to block Stenberg, according to the L.A. Times. Stenberg had previously received backlash from book fans over her casting as Princess Amari due to allegations of colorism.
“I am four months into training for ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ and I am getting my ass whooped,” Stenberg previously said in a deleted TikTok video last year. “I want everyone to know that this is important to me, and I think about it with every choice that I make. I would never navigate my career blindly, not thinking about my skin tone or the space I occupy. I would never go after a role I didn’t feel was right for me. I want to see all skin tones represented in media. I know that colorism is an insidious system that relentlessly impacts every facet of entertainment.”
Despite the insinuation about a feud with Stenberg, Adeyemi has not clarified what happened on the “Children of Blood and Bone” set.
“I don’t wish to speak on it anymore. I don’t know if that’s possible,” Adeyemi said in the clip posted on Wednesday. “I understand that I have a public presence, and that this is a global project. It’s probably useless posting a video. I really don’t know. I don’t do things like this, but I also understand that being silent about it is making the pain a lot worse. And even though it feels awful to share this, it’s better to share it and have it known and understood before I see a bunch of you for this new book. So please understand, I never want to hear about this project again. I don’t have anything to say about the people who made it. I do not care anymore. I’m trying to move on. This video might make it worse, but I don’t know how it can be any worse. So I’m just going to share that and let it live.”
“Children of Blood and Bone” hits theaters on Jan. 15.
