Children of Blood and Bone author Tomi Adeyemi surprised fans by publicly cutting ties with the upcoming film version.
Adeyemi, 32, took to TikTok on Saturday, July 4, with a statement that read, “Since someone asked, I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it.”
She continued: “It’s been painful holding this back from you all. And I’m sorry if any of you thought I didn’t care. I will always care about US. More than any glitter.”
In response to a fan who was upset about the post, Adeyemi replied, “I do not mind anyone going to watch the film. I wrote this for us. I fought for us. I’m just laying down my sword and officially separating my name because I can’t keep being hurt and attacked behind the scenes.”
Adeyemi also attached a screen grab in which she wrote a message to unidentified recipients.
“There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. That’s all,” she wrote in a group chat that appeared to include Amandla Stenberg, who plays main character Princess Amari. “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”
Adeyemi appeared to send the message in February 2025, which was around the time Stenberg’s casting was announced. The news originally received backlash, which Stenberg, 27, addressed and claimed Adeyemi had supported her leading the cast.
Children of Blood and Bone, which is the first novel in Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, is set in an African fantasy kingdom and follows a young woman who goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. The main character and her brother team up with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against the brutal rule.
The novel was previously planned to be developed at Lucasfilm. Paramount acquired the adaptation in late 2021. At that time, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Adeyemi’s request to write the script for Lucasfilm had been denied.
Gina Prince-Bythewood was tapped as the director and co-screenwriter with Adeyemi for Children of Blood and Bone. In addition to Stenberg, the cast includes Thuso Mbedu, Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Regina King, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Viola Davis.
Stenberg previously broke her silence about the colorism backlash.
“I’ve been through a lot of s***, y’all,” she shared in an Instagram video, which has since been removed. “This year was mostly defined for me, honestly, by contending with what it felt like to receive racist death threats just for existing in the Star Wars universe, and that was a really difficult thing for me to move through. But honestly, it feels so much more painful for me to feel like I’m at odds with my own community.”
Stenberg shut down the implication that she was taking roles away from dark-skinned actresses, adding, “I would never navigate my career blindly and ignorantly, not thinking about my skin tone or the space that I occupy. I would never go after a role that I didn’t feel like was right for me to chase.”
At the time, Stenberg recalled researching photos of Princess Amari after joining Blood and Bone. She highlighted that in the book, characters with skin tones similar to hers were considered the “ruling class” who oppress dark-skinned characters for their “magical capabilities.”
“So, I thought to myself, not only do I fit this character description, but my skin tone actually serves the story in supporting the allegory of colorism and oppression,” she continued.
Stenberg also claimed she received the stamp of approval from Adeyemi.
“She goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and you were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl — that inspired me to write this series so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them,’” Stenberg recalled. “We started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here.’”
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