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Tomi Adeyemi said in a new interview with The Guardianthat she will “never” turn another one of her books into a movie again after her disastrous experience on the set of “Children of Blood and Bone,” the upcoming film
adaptation of her 2018 fantasy novel.
The best-selling author went viral in late July when she posted a TikTok video of herself speaking out against the movie. Adeyemi said making the “Children of Blood and Bone” film adaptation was “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and left her “hyperventilating and sobbing” on set during production. She also alleged that she’s “still being antagonized behind the scenes” and that she “came back to America” after filming wrapped and “suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks.”
The Guardian asked Adeyemi about the TikTok video, to which she responded: “I understood that if I didn’t speak up, I couldn’t move forward. I can’t really worry about the response, because I don’t have to live with how people respond to me – I have to live with me, every day.”
Adeyemi will not disclose exactly what went down on the movie’s set to make it such an awful experience for her (“I won’t go into the specifics”), but she added: “The whole journey of the trilogy and the adaptation felt biblical … It took all of me.”
“Children of Blood and Bone” is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and featured an all-star cast that includes Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King, Idris Elba and Viola Davis, among others. The casting of Stenberg, who is mixed race, ignited conversations about colorism among book fans as Adeyemi describes the character Stenberg is playing in the books as having “dark copper skin.”
In a since-deleted TikTok video that Adeyemi posted in early July, the author posted what appeared to be a group chat that included Stenberg. Adeyemi texted, “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.
When asked by The Guardian if she wants to clarify anything about Stenberg’s casting, Adeyemi responded: “With a film, the director makes every decision. With my book I can talk about every choice down to the commas, because that’s truly in my hands. So there’s nothing for me to add, other than the clarity that these aren’t my choices.”
Adeyemi concluded of the movie: “I still don’t plan to watch it, but it’s not really for me to watch.”
“Children of Blood and Bone” hits theaters on Jan. 15.
