Author Tomi Adeyemi has publicly declared a rift with actress Amandla Stenberg, who is set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Adeyemi's novel, "Children of Blood and Bone." Adeyemi revealed the strained relationship in a social media post on Saturday, stating she will not watch the film and has instructed Stenberg to refrain from contacting her.
In a TikTok video, Adeyemi shared alleged screenshots of text messages with Stenberg. In one exchange, Stenberg apparently expressed a desire to "reconnect as human beings." Adeyemi's alleged response was, "Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me." She then reportedly blocked Stenberg.
Adeyemi, the New York Times bestselling author of the "Legacy of Orïsha" trilogy, also shared screenshots of Instagram direct messages. In these, she indicated her decision to avoid the film adaptation and stated, "It’s been painful holding this back from you all… And I’m sorry if any of you thought I didn’t care about US. More than any glitter."
The film adaptation of "Children of Blood and Bone" is based on the first book of Adeyemi's trilogy, which she sold the rights to and is executive producing and co-writing with director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The story is set in a fantasy African kingdom where a young woman seeks to restore magic to her people. Stenberg is cast as Princess Amari, the main character. The film is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027.
The alleged text exchange between Adeyemi and Stenberg is dated February 28, 2025. Around the same time, Stenberg faced online backlash regarding her casting. Critics argued that the role of Princess Amari, described in the book as having "dark copper skin," should have been given to a darker-skinned actress. Stenberg addressed the controversy in a since-deleted Instagram Reel, defending her casting and stating that her own experiences with colorism, particularly after being cast as Rue in "The Hunger Games," had inspired Adeyemi to write the series.
"She goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and you were cast as Rue in ‘The Hunger Games,’ and people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl — that inspired me to write this series so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them,'" Stenberg reportedly recounted. "We started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here.'"
The cast of the film also includes Thuso Mbedu, Tosin Cole, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Regina King, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Viola Davis.