Children of Blood and Bone” author Tomi Adeyemi said in an emotional TikTok Wednesday that she left the set of her fantasy novel’s movie adaptation “hyperventilating and sobbing” and is publicly cutting ties with the project ahead of its winter release.
The author cryptically did not share more about the on-set incident that led to her exit from the film she co-wrote with director Gina Prince-Bythewood, but accused producers of “antagonizing” her through the 18 months since.
The video came just weeks after the author said she’s refusing to promote the project, has not seen it and “will not watch it” and one day after the first trailer for the fantasy feature — which boasts a starry ensemble including Viola Davis, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo and Amandla Stenberg (the latter of whom Adeyemi has shared hints of a contentious relationship) debuted.
“There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret,” Adeyemi said of her walk-off from production. “I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks, and I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
Adeyemi continued of the movie: “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 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. I don’t wish to speak on it anymore.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible,” the writer continued. “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. Sorry. 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.”
Adeyemi has a standalone young adult novel “The Siren” due in September.
“Please understand, I never want to hear about this project again,” she concluded. “I don’t have anything to say about the people who made it. I do not care anymore. I’m trying to move on.”
Representatives for the film’s distributors Paramount Pictures, and representatives for Prince-Bythewood did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Adeyemi first shared her discontent with the movie adaptation and Stenberg in a since-deleted TikTok video earlier this month, in which she shared apparent screenshots of texts with the 27-year-old star.
“Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me,” Adeyemi wrote in the texts. Earlier messages from Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari, were not shared, but the author appeared to block her after sending the text.
Many fans of the author sounded off in the comments of her TikTok video on Wednesday, questioning why she remained elusive over what happened during production to cause such unrest and encouraging her to share more about the fallout in exchange for their support.
“If there’s something you want audiences to know, then say it clearly,” one fan wrote in response to the video. “Otherwise, leaving people to speculate this close to release risks overshadowing a project that so many other Black creatives worked incredibly hard on … You’re absolutely entitled to your feelings about the adaptation, but I wish those feelings were expressed in a way that didn’t potentially undermine everyone else’s work on the film before audiences have had the chance to see it.”
“Children of Blood and Bone” hits theaters Jan. 15.
