Children of Blood and Bone Author Addresses Movie Controversy, “Worst Thing I’ve Ever Had to Live Through”
The Legacy of Orïsha book series, comprising Children of Blood and Bone, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, and Children of Anguish and Anarchy, has been beloved since it began in 2018, and eight years after Children of Blood and Bone first hit bookshelves, these novels continue to be celebrated additions to the fantasy genre. It therefore makes sense that the books would be picked up for movie adaptations, and although the rights to the movies changed hands, at first being held by Lucasfilm and then going to Paramount, that is precisely what happened, much to the delight of the book community.
There is still plenty of excitement about the upcoming movie, and the recently released Children of Blood and Bone trailer has only made the anticipation within the fanbase all the stronger; however, there have long been rumored tensions behind the scenes as well. Specifically, author of the novels Tomi Adeyemi had previously shared that she did not intend to see the movie, and there were indications that something had potentially taken place on set. While much of the situation remained speculative, Adeyemi has now shared a video on her TikTok account, directly describing her experience with the film adaptation.
Tomi Adeyemi Describes Hyperventilating and Sobbing While Leaving Set
In a TikTok video shared on Adeyemi’s account earlier today, the author spoke frankly about how difficult her experience with the Children of Blood and Bone adaptation had been for her, citing emotional and physical symptoms of her distress. She explained, “…I left that set of my own film adaptation hyperventilating and sobbing, and 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. And I knew it was so bad that I would never, ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
Adeyemi went on to describe feeling like she is still being “antagonized behind the scenes,” although she did not name a specific source of that antagonism. However, she did explain that the experiences and symptoms she was describing stemmed from her involvement with the film, saying, “…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’ve ever had to live through, and I don’t wish to speak on it anymore.”
Adeyemi concluded the video by saying, “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.” The video’s comments are currently full of messages of support for the author, and many fans of the books are also voicing sadness that this is how the movie adaptation has felt for Adeyemi, with one commenter writing, “Heartbreaking to hear that you have endured pain to bring your amazing words to life. No one can take away the power of your voice,” and another saying, “Stay safe Tomi and find your peace.”
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