'Children of Blood and Bone' author hints at traumatic on-set ordeal. Fans have questions

On the heels of the trailer uncover for the big-screen adaption of “Children of Blood and Bone,” the book’s writer is claiming successful a caller video that an on-set ordeal traumatized her — and fans person been near with much questions than answers.

On Wednesday, Tomi Adeyemi upped the ante erstwhile discussing the ongoing behind-the-scenes play that’s overshadowed the caller film. Although the author, successful her latest video connected the falling-out, hinted astatine a achy ordeal that unfolded connected set, fans are inactive scratching their heads arsenic to what precisely happened and who was involved.

“I’m gonna station this truthful ideally I won’t person to speech astir this anymore,” she said successful a five-minute, 40-second video posted to societal media. “And what I’m astir to stock is not a concealed to the radical involved. It’s a world that I’ve had to unrecorded with for astir a twelvemonth and a half, and everyone involved, astatine slightest astatine the highest level, has been made alert of this reality, and they haven’t done thing to marque it better. If anything, they’ve lone antagonized me, and I judge that, but I besides judge if I don’t accidental something, I deliberation it’s conscionable going to beryllium worse.

“I’m not gonna talk connected what I endured to marque it done the young big trilogy, and I’m not going to talk astir everything that I besides suffered done to marque the adaptation a reality,” she continued. “I’m really lone going to talk astir what happened aft I near that acceptable of my ain movie adaptation, hyperventilating and sobbing, and determination are galore witnesses, truthful it’s not truly a secret.”

The writer continued that, erstwhile she returned to America from an overseas filming location, she suffered “such terrible somatic symptom and truthful galore panic attacks” that she knew she would ne'er beryllium capable to ticker the film.

“But arsenic it is being marketed, and arsenic I americium inactive being antagonized down the scenes, which is wherever I hoped each of this would stay, it’s go evident to maine that world needs to astatine slightest beryllium made known truthful that you guys tin recognize however this movie — which I worked connected to marque it a small amended for america to beryllium live — is besides the worst happening I person ever had to unrecorded through, and I don’t privation to talk connected it anymore.”

Adeyemi concluded that she ne'er wants to perceive astir the movie adaption again, and past she seemingly threw shadiness astatine manager Gina Prince-Bythewood, whom she co-wrote the screenplay with, saying, “I don’t person thing to accidental astir the radical who made it. I bash not attraction anymore. I’m trying to determination on. This video mightiness marque it worse, but I don’t cognize however it tin beryllium immoderate worse.”

Representatives for Prince-Bythewood and Paramount Pictures did not instantly respond to The Times’ petition for comment.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian American writer posted a since-deleted video connected TikTok that besides near her followers puzzled successful which she said determination was a crushed she stopped promoting the forthcoming film. Although she didn’t spell retired the reason, she posted a surface changeable of a February 2025 substance speech with 1 of the film’s stars, Amandla Stenberg, successful which she told the histrion not to usage her sanction successful interviews and past blocked her.

Stenberg, who is African American and Danish, had been astatine the halfway of a casting contention owed to claims that colorism was astatine play erstwhile she landed the relation of Princess Amari. (Read much astir the contention here.)

On Monday, Paramount held a “Children of Blood and Bone” trailer motorboat lawsuit astatine the Brooklyn Academy of Music successful New York City. In a treatment moderated by “Master of None” histrion Lena Waithe, Prince-Bythewood and the A-list formed talked astir the making and almost-not-making of the film, and Prince-Bythewood seemed to uncover her stance connected the fallout implicit Stenberg’s casting.

The manager said her big-screen adaptation was “beautifully inspired by Nigeria and besides inclusive of the full diaspora. We wanted each of america to beryllium capable to spot ourselves wrong this, conscionable our implicit and utter humanity, each the beauteous hues.”

In the comments conception nether Adeyemi’s Wednesday video, frustrated fans asked the writer to beryllium much transparent portion others suggested possibly a non-disclosure statement was hindering her quality to connection immoderate specifics connected the incident.

“Children of Blood and Bone” is slated to deed theaters Jan. 15.