# Tomi Adeyemi Avoids Film Talk

> Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone, refuses to discuss the film adaptation despite creative control and past conflicts with Amandla Stenberg.
- Title: Tomi Adeyemi Avoids Film Talk · Vanity Fair | Shortify
- Summary: Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone, refuses to discuss the film adaptation despite creative control and past conflicts with Amandla Stenberg.
- Keywords: tomisadeyemi, children of blood and bone, amandla stenberg, film adaptation, new york times, siren, legacy of orisha, dartmouth, tomi adeyemi, nfl, Tomi, Adeyemi
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/tomi-adeyemi-children-of-blood-and-bone
- Author: Wisdom Iheanyichukwu
- Published: 2026-11-02T19:40:54.719+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tomisadeyemi, children of blood and bone, amandla stenberg, film adaptation, new york times, siren, legacy of orisha, dartmouth, tomi adeyemi, nfl
## Tomi Adeyemi's Writing Journey
Tomi Adeyemi, a New York Times bestselling author, wrote Children of Blood and Bone at age twenty-four with her Legacy of Orisha trilogy.
## Film Adaptation Strain
Adeyemi claims the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone was the worst thing she ever lived through, causing a rift with Amandla Stenberg.
## Social Media Distance
Adeyemi blocked Amandla Stenberg on social media and deleted TikToks discussing the film adaptation, avoiding further contact.
## Creative Control
Sources reported Adeyemi gained more creative control over the film than most first-time authors, including a co-screenwriting credit.
## New Novel Focus
Adeyemi wrote The Siren, a novel following Emery, a Dartmouth freshman, who undergoes trials to join a powerful group of girls on campus.
## Writing Process
Adeyemi spent four and a half years writing her first unpublished novel, which was rejected 63 times before becoming Children of Blood and Bone.
## Personal Connection
Adeyemi relates to Emery’s themes of belonging, identity, and loneliness, saying, 'I think if you don’t belong to yourself, you don’t belong anywhere.'

> I think if you don’t belong to yourself, you don’t belong anywhere
## Aquarius Identity
Adeyemi, an Aquarius, believes her zodiac sign makes her feel like she never fits in, comparing herself to Audrey Hepburn and SZA.
## Cover Image
Adeyemi appears on the cover of The Siren, a first for her, describing the image as capturing 'the darkness, that power in Emery.'
## Film Release Timeline
The Blood and Bone film is scheduled for release in January, while Adeyemi’s relationship with Stenberg has deteriorated since the film’s production.
## Emotional Shift
Adeyemi shifted from considering The Siren her last book to feeling reenergized by writing after a period of emotional turmoil.
## Self-Reflection
Adeyemi says she now feels more like a jungle cat than a house plant, emphasizing the need for Black women to have their power and voice.

> I’ve become someone who can inhabit it fully. When you allow a woman to grow her claws, I am more akin to a jungle cat than I am a house plant.
## Audiobook Insight
Adeyemi noticed Emery’s lack of self-recognition in the audiobook, which broke her heart as it reflected her own past insecurities.
## Future Plans
Adeyemi plans to focus on voice acting and animation, not adapting The Siren, saying the film journey was 'not work that is for myself.'
## Final Statement
Adeyemi refuses to discuss the film adaptation, stating, 'I think my relationship with myself has changed more than anything.'

> I think my relationship with myself has changed more than anything
## Key takeaway

Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood and Bone, avoids discussing the film adaptation after a strained relationship with Amandla Stenberg.