Adeyemi left film set ‘hyperventilating and sobbing’ due to severe issues during production
Ongoing issues behind the scenes have pushed Adeyemi to speak out despite not wanting to
Adeyemi is trying to move on from the experience and does not wish to discuss the project further
Tomi Adeyemi is speaking candidly about her experience with the upcoming film adaptation of her bestselling novel Children of Blood and Bone, describing it as an ordeal she is eager to leave in the past.
Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty
In a five-minute video shared Wednesday, the author referred to the Paramount production as “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and revealed that she no longer wants to discuss the project publicly.
Adeyemi, who helped write the screenplay for the adaptation of her acclaimed African fantasy novel, has previously shared that she has no intention of watching the movie after spending time on set during filming.
“What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said in the social media clip. “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 antagonized me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.”
The author alleged that she left the set of Children of Blood and Bone “hyperventilating and sobbing” and claimed she continues to be “antagonized behind the scenes.” Representatives for Adeyemi, Paramount and director Gina Prince-Bythewood did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
“I’m not going to speak on what I endured to make it through the young adult trilogy, and I’m not going to speak about everything that I also suffered through or endured to make the adaptation a reality,” Adeyemi said. “I’m actually only going to speak about what happened after I left that set of my own film adaptation, hyperventilating and sobbing. There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret. I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks. I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
She went on to explain that the release of the film’s trailer earlier this week, coupled with what she described as ongoing issues behind the scenes, ultimately pushed her to speak out.
“But as it is being marketed,” Adeyemi continued, referencing the trailer which launched on Tuesday, “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, 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.”
Earlier this month, Adeyemi posted-and-deleted a TikTok that appeared to include a group chat featuring Children of Blood and Bone star Amandla Stenberg. According to the Los Angeles Times, Adeyemi wrote, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me” before seemingly blocking the actress. Stenberg previously faced criticism from some fans over her casting as Princess Amari amid accusations of colorism.
Stenberg addressed the controversy in a TikTok video last year that has since been removed.
“I am four months into training for Children of Blood and Bone and I am getting my ass whooped,” Stenberg previously said in a deleted TikTok video last year. “I want everyone to know that this is important to me, and I think about it with every choice that I make. I would never navigate my career blindly, not thinking about my skin tone or the space I occupy. I would never go after a role I didn’t feel was right for me. I want to see all skin tones represented in media. I know that colorism is an insidious system that relentlessly impacts every facet of entertainment.”
Despite speculation surrounding a possible dispute with Stenberg, Adeyemi has not publicly disclosed what allegedly took place during production.
Toward the end of her video, the author emphasized that she is trying to move on from the experience entirely.
“I don’t wish to speak on it anymore. I don’t know if that’s possible,” Adeyemi said in the clip posted on Wednesday. “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, but I 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. So please understand, I never want to hear about this project again. 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. So I’m just going to share that and let it live.”
Children of Blood and Bone is set to hit theaters on Jan. 15.
