Author Tomi Adeyemi Compares 'Children of Blood and Bone' Film Adaptation to 'Worst Thing I've Ever Lived Through'
Author Tomi Adeyemi reveals the film adaptation of her novel left her hyperventilating and sobbing, calling it 'the worst thing I've ever lived through.'
Tomi Adeyemi, the author of the bestselling YA novel *Children of Blood and Bone*, has shared her harrowing experience adapting the book for the big screen, calling it “the worst thing I have ever had to live through.” In a five-minute TikTok video, Adeyemi described leaving the set of the Paramount production “hyperventilating and sobbing,” adding, “I never want to hear about this project again.” Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay, had previously indicated she wouldn’t watch the film. The video, she said, was an attempt to put the matter to rest, though she conceded it might prolong the story. She claimed those involved continued to “antagonise” her. “What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said. “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 antagonised me.” She detailed suffering “severe somatic pain” and panic attacks after leaving the set. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood recently alluded to a casting controversy involving Amandla Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari. A now-deleted TikTok from Adeyemi showed a group chat where she told Stenberg, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again.” The film also stars Regina King, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Tosin Cole, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lashana Lynch, and Thuso Mbedu. The release of the first trailer on Monday prompted Adeyemi’s latest comments. “As it is being marketed, and as I am still being antagonised behind the scenes, it’s become apparent to me that reality needs to at least be made known,” she said.
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