Tomi Adeyemi Calls 'Blood and Bone' Film Her Worst Experience
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- Tomi Adeyemi posted a five-minute video Wednesday calling the Paramount film adaptation of her novel 'the worst thing I have ever had to live through' and saying she 'never want[s] to hear about this project again'
- Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay, said she left the set 'hyperventilating and sobbing' and continues to be 'antagonized behind the scenes,' suffering severe somatic pain and panic attacks afterward and making peace with never watching the film
- Earlier this month, Adeyemi shared what appeared to be a group chat with actor Amandla Stenberg, writing 'Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again' and apparently blocking her
- Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari, had previously faced backlash from fans over colorism allegations related to her casting and addressed them in a since-deleted TikTok, saying she 'would never navigate my career blindly, not thinking about my skin tone'
- Adeyemi stopped short of specifying what happened on set, saying only 'I don't wish to speak on it anymore. I don't know if that's possible'
- The Paramount film, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, hits theaters January 15
Why it matters: Adeyemi's public disavowal — from an author who co-wrote the screenplay — contradicts Paramount's marketing push for the January 15 release. With Stenberg's casting already controversial among fans over colorism, Adeyemi's video adds another fracture between the book's readership and the finished film, and leaves the studio without its most vocal champion.
