Now the Blind Side family is accusing Michael Oher of a $15 million “shakedown”
Michael Oher accused the Tuohy family of locking him into conservatorship and tricking him into signing rights away. The Tuohys call it a "shakedown"
The Blind Side family controversy is getting uglier. Yesterday, Michael Oher, the former NFL offensive tackle and subject of the bestselling book and Oscar-winning film The Blind Side, issued a petition against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple played by Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock in the film, accusing them of not sharing Blind Side profits and locking him into a conservatorship. Today, the family is accusing him of a $15 million “shakedown.”
According to the Tuohy’s lawyer, Marty Singer, Oher “threatened” to “plant a negative story” in the press unless they paid him $15 million. Singer went on to describe Oher’s petition as a “cynical attempt to drum up attention” for his book tour, which is a dicey and complicated way of getting people interested in reading another book about the Super Bowl champion. Nevertheless, Singer contends the Tuohys “opened their home to Mr. Oher, offered him structure, support and, most of all, unconditional love.”
Oher sees things differently. His petition alleges that when he turned 18, the Tuohys “tricked him into signing a document making them his conservators.” As a result of his legal relationship with the Tuohys, the retired football player says he never made any money off The Blind Side, though he suspects others did. As one might expect, the family denies this, and Singer claims they have “given Mr. Oher an equal cut of every penny received” from the movie. They also say that, yes, it was a conservatorship, but the Tuohys would “never oppose” him leaving. Anyway, now they’re going to court over it.
Singer’s statement ends with the Tuohys reaffirming their love for Oher, stating that they are “heartbroken” and “desperately hope” Oher comes to regret this. Either way, they’re willing to “stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit.” The lawsuit asks that Oher receive “his fair share of profits,” a full accounting of the money, and “unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.” He also wants to end the conservatorship, which the Tuohys say they’re fine with, and to bar them from using his name and likeness.