‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Author Details On-Set Fallout That Led to Her Cutting Ties With Movie

“Children of Blood and Bone” author Tomi Adeyemi detailed the on-set fallout that led to her publicly cutting ties with the movie adaptation of her fantasy novel on Wednesday. Adeyemi, who co-wrote the script with director Gina Prince-Bythewood, shared in a fiery TikTok video that she left set during production “hyperventilating and sobbing” and 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.” “There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret,” Adeyemi said of her emotional exit 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.” The first trailer for the fantasy film — 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 — dropped on Tuesday. “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,” Adeyemi said in the video. “I don’t wish to speak on it anymore.” Watch her nearly six-minute missive in full below: “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 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. “Children of Blood and Bone” hits theaters Jan. 15.