Tomi Adeyemi Says She Left ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Set in Tears

In a now-deleted TikTok video, Adeyemi described sobbing and hyperventilating as she walked off the set of the highly anticipated adaptation. She revealed she has since suffered severe panic attacks and physical pain, and has vowed never to watch the finished film.

Tomi Adeyemi is opening up for what she says is the final time about her experience on the set of the upcoming action fantasy blockbuster, "Children of Blood and Bone," an adaptation of her 2018 novel of the same name.

Tomi Adeyemi, #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author poses with her book, "Children of Blood and Bone" during the 2025 Pennsylvania Conference For Women at Pennsylvania Convention Center on September 25 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. | Source: Getty Images

In the clip, posted Wednesday, Adeyemi spoke about suffering on set but stopped short of detailing what actually happened. The author said she wouldn't speak about everything she has "suffered through, or endured, to make the adaptation a reality."

Instead, she said she would only address what happened after she left the set of the film adaptation "hyperventilating and sobbing," adding that "there are many witnesses so it's not really a secret."

Tomi Adeyemi attends the Fourth Annual Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala held at Paramount Pictures Studios on February 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

"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," she said.

"But as it is being marketed," she continued, "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 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, and I don't wish to speak on it anymore," she added.

Tomi Adeyemi attends the 2024 GEANCO Hollywood Gala at 1 Hotel West Hollywood on December 6 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Adeyemi co-wrote the movie's screenplay and has previously said she will never watch the finished film because of what she experienced on set.

The high-profile Paramount project is slated for release in January. It's being directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood and boasts a star-studded cast that includes Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Damson Idris, and Viola Davis.

Adeyemi released the first book in her trilogy, "Children of Blood and Bone," in 2018, followed by "Children of Virtue and Vengeance" in 2019 and "Children of Anguish and Anarchy" in 2024.

Tomi Adeyemi speaks at Spotlight on Tomi Adeyemi during New York Comic Con 2024 at The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 19. | Source: Getty Images

The debut novel unfolds in an African fantasy kingdom, following a young woman — played in the film by Thuso Mbedu — on a quest to reclaim magic violently stripped from her people. Alongside her brother, portrayed by Tosin Cole, she joins forces with the king's son and daughter to rise up against his brutal reign.

Plans for a film adaptation date back to March 2017, when Fox 2000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment acquired the screen rights before the book had even hit shelves.

After bouncing between studios, the project eventually landed at Paramount Pictures. The much-anticipated adaptation is set for a theatrical IMAX release on January 15, 2027.

Damson Idris, Thuso Mbedu, and Amandla Stenberg promote the upcoming film "Children of Blood and Bone" at the Paramount Pictures presentation at The Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of Cinema United, on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Source: Getty Images

In the Wednesday video, Adeyemi said the allegations were "not a secret to the people involved," without naming who those individuals were.

"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," she said.

"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 gonna be worse."

"Please understand I never want to hear about this project again," Adeyemi continued, acknowledging that it may not be possible to stay silent going forward given her public profile and the film's global scale.

"I don't have anything to say about the people who made it. I do not care anymore. I am trying to move on," she said. "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."