Amanda Stenberg has officially responded to backlash from some fans against her casting in the forthcoming Children of Blood and Bone film adaptation.
The actress recently took to TikTok to address some of the online discourse about her role as Princess Amari in the movie, based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Tomi Adeyemi.
Since the character is described as having “dark copper skin” and Stenberg is of a lighter complexion, fans of the book have accused her of stealing roles from darker-skinned women.
Stenberg’s response
“I just want to take this moment to fully address, in video format, this perception that exists of me — that I steal roles from dark-skinned women,” Stenberg said. “This year was mostly defined for me, honestly, by contending with what it felt like to receive racist death threats just for existing in the Star Wars universe, and that was a really difficult thing for me to move through. But, honestly, it feels so much more painful for me to feel like I’m at odds with my own community.”
“I just want everybody to know that this is important to me, that I think about it with every choice that I make,” she continued. “I would never navigate my career blindly and ignorantly, not thinking about my skin tone or the space that I occupy. And I would never go after a role that I didn’t feel like was right for me to chase, that I want to see all skin tones represented in media. I know that colorism is an insidious system that relentlessly impacts every single facet of entertainment.”
Stenberg also took a moment to recall being on the receiving end of racism when she was cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, using the experience to express her frustration with now being accused of using colorism to her advantage in her upcoming role in Children of Blood and Bone.
“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, so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them,'” Stenberg shared. “We just started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here!'”
Other concerns from users online include disappointment in the representation of Nigerian actors since the book is rooted in Yoruba culture and the possibility of inauthentic Nigerian accents.
Who else has been cast in the film?
Along with Stenberg as Amari, Children of Blood and Bone will feature Thuso Mbedu as Zelie, Damson Idris as Prince Inan, Tosin Cole as Tzain, Viola Davis as Mama Agba, Cynthia Erivo as Admiral Kaea, Idris Elba as Lekan, Lashana Lynch as Jumoke, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as King Saran.
Children of Blood and Bone will be released in theaters on January 15, 2027.
Watch Stenberg’s full video below:
@amandlafr addressing The Allegations
♬ original sound – amandla stenberg
