Tomi Adeyemi, the bestselling writer behind “Children of Blood and Bone,” shared a mysterious and emotional video Wednesday in which she criticized the working environment surrounding the movie adaptation of her hit fantasy novel.
In a TikTok lasting five minutes and 40 seconds, Adeyemi became visibly emotional as she described what she characterized as a deeply painful experience during the production process.
Adeyemi said the situation she was addressing was already known to those connected to the project, explaining that she had been living with it for roughly a year and a half and that senior figures involved had been informed but, in her view, failed to meaningfully address it.
She added that, rather than feeling supported, she believed she had been met with hostility — and said she felt compelled to speak publicly because staying silent would only allow the situation to deteriorate further.
Throughout the video, Adeyemi appeared deliberate in her wording, often pausing before continuing and avoiding naming specific individuals. Days earlier, in a TikTok posted Saturday and later deleted, she had directly referenced lead actress Amandla Stenberg.
Adeyemi said she was not going to detail what she endured while completing the young adult trilogy, nor would she fully unpack everything she experienced while helping bring the “Children of Blood and Bone” film adaptation to life.
Instead, she said she wanted to focus on what happened after she left the set of her own adaptation “hyperventilating and sobbing,” noting that multiple people witnessed the moment and that it was not, in her words, a hidden incident.
“Children of Blood and Bone” is set in a fantasy kingdom inspired by Africa and follows a young heroine determined to restore the magic violently stripped from her people. Alongside her brother, she joins forces with the king’s children as they challenge his oppressive and brutal reign.
The author said she suffered “such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks” as she returned from an overseas filming location and knew she would not be able to watch the movie.
“But as it is being marketed, 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,” she said, “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, and I don’t wish to speak on it anymore.”
The author appears to slam the movie’s director Gina Prince-Bythewood, saying, “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.”
Adeyemi wrote the screenplay for the movie with Prince-Bythewood, but it’s unclear if there have been creative changes.
Commenters on the video appeared frustrated with the author’s lack of transparency.
“Tomi, we don’t know what happened between you, Paramount, the director, or the actors. But if you want our support, be clear with us. Either open up fully about what’s going on, or don’t say anything at all,” one wrote.
Adeyemi called out Stenberg for unclear reasons in the video, posting a screenshot of the author texting her: “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”
She then blocked Stenberg as a contact.
Stenberg had hoped to reconnect with the author, writing before the hostile text: “My only hope was to reconnect as human beings.”
Another part of the video explains that she wants her fans to support her by buying the book and that she will not be watching the film adaptation.
“There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. That’s all,” the New York Times bestselling author wrote in a separate Instagram DM, which she screenshotted and included in the video.
A second message read, “From this point on, if you want to support me, you can purchase any edition of the trilogy at a local independent children’s book store (books of wonder, NYC).”
In more screenshots of Instagram DMs, the writer said she has not seen the film and “will not watch it.”
“It’s been painful holding this back from you all… And I’m sorry if any of you thought I didn’t care about US. More than any glitter.”
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