Author Tomi Adeyemi Reveals She Won’t Be Watching “Children of Blood Bone” Film
In news that can only be described as “I’m sorry, what?” Tomi Ayedemi, author of the popular New York Times Bestselling African fantasy book, “Children of Blood and Bone,” has revealed the shocking reason she officially distanced herself from the highly anticipated film adaptation of her book.
The tea was spilled over the weekend after Ayedemi posted a TikTok video with the words across the screen that read: “Why don’t you post about the adaptation of your first film adaptation anymore?[sic]” From there, the author posted screenshots from a private Instagram group where she explained that there is “a reason” why she won’t post anything about the film. In another message, she urged those in the group to instead support her work by purchasing any of the books in the trilogy from independent bookstores.
But what was perhaps most shocking of all was a screenshot she shared that showed a private Instagram message thread with one of the film’s stars, Amandla Stenberg. For context, the announcement of Stenburg’s casting in late January 2026 immediately sparked backlash as the role she would be taking on was that of a darker-skinned woman, according to the book’s description. Diehard fans maintain that the character’s “dark copper skin color” plays a pivotal role in how she moves and is perceived throughout the story.
Related: Amandla Stenberg Responds To Ignorant Claims She Steals Roles from Darker-skinned Black Women
However, when Stenburg began to face online criticism, it was revealed that Ayedemi actually wrote the character in the book with the young actress in mind, which led to her landing the role in the film adaptation. Fast forward to July 2026, and it appears the two women had a falling out just one month after all the backlash ensued.
Screenshots provided in the aforementioned video show Ayedemi texting Stenburg on Feb. 28, 2025, and telling her not to “ever use her name in an interview or video again.” She also told Stenburg not to text or call her again before blocking her on social media.
Ayedemi went on to tell fans that she hadn’t seen the film and had no plans to watch, though she failed to give an explicit reason.
“I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it. 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,” she wrote via screenshot.
This news comes nearly seven months before the film is set to release in January 2027. The star-studded cast includes actors Idris Elba, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo and more. Now, fans are left trying to make it all make sense after an interview at Paramount Studios lot in April, in which director Gina Prince-Bythewood spoke proudly of how she and Ayedemi co-wrote the film and that they were both dedicated to telling the story “the right way” and with “authenticity.”
