What happened with Tomi Adeyemi and Amandla Stenberg? Children of Blood and Bone author reveals feud with star of movie adaptation

Tomi Adeyemi, the author of YA novel Children of Blood and Bone, has distanced herself from its upcoming Paramount film adaptation and revealed a rift with Amandla Stenberg.

The Gina Prince-Bythewood film is scheduled to release on January 15, 2027 and stars Stenberg (as Princess Amari), Thuso Mbedu (as Zélie), Damson Idris, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo, among others. Adeyemi posted a TikTok video on July 4, where she said that she would no longer be promoting the adaptation and would be officially separating her name from the production. She encourages her fans to purchase her novel from the stores.

Toni Adeyemi warned The Hunger Games actress from using her name and contacting her in the future and indicated that she has blocked her. The feud between them stems from the 2025 casting controversy and from how Stenberg invoked Adeyemi’s name and support to defend herself against accusations of colorism.

Continue to read for more details.

Feud between Tomi Adeyemi and Amandla Stenberg explained

Tomi Adeyemi recently took to TikTok to announce that she has publicly distanced herself from the upcoming Children of Blood and Bone movie adaptation. Adeyemi is known for her Legacy of Orïsha series, which began with Children of Blood and Bone.

Responding to the question in the TikTok video as to why she stopped posting about the adaptation of her novel, the 32-year-old author shared a screenshot of DMs on TikTok which read:

“There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. That’s all.”

The clip also included a screenshot of a message, dated Feb. 28, 2025, which Tomi Adeyemi apparently sent to Amandla Stenberg. It said:

“Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”

The screenshot suggested that Tomi Adeyemi subsequently blocked the 27-year-old actress. Adeyemi also wrote:

“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 about US. More than any glitter.”

Adeyemi clarified that she has not discouraged her fans from watching the film based on a script she penned with director Gina Prince-Bythewood. She added that she has been just “laying down my sword” and “officially separating my name” as she felt hurt and attacked behind the scenes.

Tomi Adeyemi’s response came after The Acolyte star was accused of stealing roles from dark-skinned women. Stenberg will reportedly star as Princess Amari, the crown princess of Orïsha who is described as a dark-skinned African. She is of mixed African-American and Danish descent with roots tracing back to Greenlandic Inuit ancestry on her father's side.

Sternberg was born to parents Karen Brailsford and Tom Stenberg. Her mother is an African-American spiritual counselor and writer, while her father is from Denmark and has Greenlandic Inuit roots through his mother.

In February 2025, Sterberg took to social media to address casting backlash regarding the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone. In a since-deleted video, Sternberg shared that Adeyemi personally supported her casting. She said Adeyemi noted her past experience facing racist backlash as a child actress in The Hunger Games, which originally inspired Adeyemi to write the series.

Stenberg says in the viral clip:

"I had the opportunity to meet Tomi, the novelist, for the first time. “Then, she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and you had these racist remarks thrown at you because people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl that inspired me to write this series…”

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She also pointed out that characters with skin tones similar to hers are the "ruling class" who oppress dark-skinned characters for their "magical capabilities."

Sternberg has faced racism throughout her career since she was cast as a child actor in The Hunger Games. She often uses social media to advocate for human rights and female empowerment.

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