This week, Michael Oher hit out with some shocking claims against the Tuohy family.
He has claimed the premise of the movie The Blind Side was all a lie.
And that the Tuohys were the real villain of the piece.
“Sounds about right.. it’s the savior complex. “I gave you a roof over your head and now you need to pay me back.” It was never out of the kindness of their heart. This happens way more than people think,” one person commented.
Another added: “This story sounds so much more realistic than the film, which is very sad about humanity and the state of society. I’m sure the family will have a response and we can’t know exactly what happened, but, at this point, I definitely believe his account more.”
“Wow! I hope he has his day in court and wins if this has any validity to it,” another added.
Soon after, Sean Tuohy spoke out about the claims.
And that’s not all.
Sean Tuohy Jr, the son from the movie, has also offered his opinion.
But now, there’s been another developemnt.
The internet has had a rather bizarre reaction to the story.
Including, demanding that Sandra Bullock be stripped of her Oscar!
This backlash has forced her co-star, Quinton Aaron, to speak out.
Now, Sandra Bullock herself has addressed the controversy.
So, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Michael Oher played in the NFL from 2009 to 2016.
He started 110 games in his career.
However, outside of his sporting career, there’s another major reason Oher is a household name.
And that’s all thanks to the movie “The Blind Side.”
“The Blind Side,” a 2009 film directed by John Lee Hancock, was a heartwarming journey of compassion, resilience, and transformation.
The movie brought to life the remarkable tale of Michael Oher, a young African-American man who rises above adversity with the help of a loving family and the power of football.
Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) was a homeless and underprivileged teenager who escapes a life of poverty and hardship.
But life changes when he’s taken in by the Tuohy family.
Leigh Anne Tuohy (portrayed by Sandra Bullock), the matriarch of the family, recognizes Michael’s potential and offers him a loving and supportive home.
And Michael discovers his size and strength make him a natural fit for football.
With the guidance of his adoptive family and coaches, Michael navigates the complexities of the sport while also overcoming challenges both on and off the field.
The movie is built around the idea of compassion and love.
However, it looks as though things aren’t all they seemed.
As Oher has spoken out against the movie of his life, and made some shocking claims against the Tuohy family.
Michael Oher, the former NFL offensive lineman, has hit out.
And even filed a legal petition in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Oher alleges that the Tuohy family, who took him in and was portrayed as his saviors in the film, deceived him.
He claims they never officially adopted him, and manipulated him for their own financial gain.
Oher, known for his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, details these disturbing claims in court documents.
He asserts that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the couple who extended their help to him during his high school years, exploited his vulnerability as a young athlete with immense potential.
According to Oher’s account, he was introduced to the Tuohys during the summer following his junior year of high school.
He had found himself homeless and in need of support due to what he describes as a broken social system in Tennessee.
The Tuohys, seemingly acting as benevolent figures, welcomed him into their home and even took him on shopping trips to provide him with clothes.
Eventually, they proposed that he move in with them.
The Tuohys assured him of their love and intention to legally adopt him, leaving him delighted to become a part of a stable family unit.
Oher alleges that the Tuohys deceived him by presenting legal documents that he believed were meant to initiate the adoption process.
Oher recently discovered that these papers were not adoption documents at all.
Rather, they were a petition to establish the Tuohys as his conservators.
Oher contends he never agreed to or fully understood this agreement.
But that it granted the Tuohys extensive control over his contractual and financial decisions.
“The Tuohys did tell Michael they loved him and that they intended to legally adopt him,” Oher said in the documents obtained by TMZ.
“Michael believed them, was delighted to be part of a real and stable family, and trusted Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy completely.”
The conservatorship allowed the Tuohys to negotiate deals on Oher’s behalf.
Including a significant contract with 20th Century Fox for the production of “The Blind Side.”
The film, released in 2009 and starring Sandra Bullock, became a massive success, grossing over $300 million worldwide.
Oher alleges that the Tuohys secured a lucrative deal for themselves and their children, excluding him from the agreement.
They reportedly negotiated a contract worth $225,000 along with 2.5% of future “defined net proceeds.”
Furthermore, Oher claims that his rights to his own story were signed away without his knowledge or consent, leaving him with no compensation or control over how his narrative was portrayed.
The conversatorship meant the family”have total control over Michael Oher’s ability to negotiate for or enter any contract.”
“Despite the fact he was over 18 years of age and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disabilities.”
In light of these disturbing revelations, Oher is seeking legal action to end the conservatorship that has allegedly kept him under the Tuohys’ control.
He is also demanding an assessment of the monetary gains the Tuohys accrued through contracts negotiated on his behalf.
Oher was also critical of the way the movie portrayed him.
Believing it made him look dumb.
But now, Sean Tuohy has spoken out about Oher’s claims.
And his response has divided the internet.
“It’s the fact the father says he didn’t earn “much” money from the movie. Compared to Michaels nothing.
If earned zero, they should’ve earned zero. I guess the accusations in the movie, were actually correct!” wrote one.
“I’m only guessing there’s been a falling out long ago … probably not even about money… sad,” another agreed.
Sean told The Daily Memphian that he never tricked Oher into anything.
“We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn’t adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship,” he said.
“We were so concerned it was on the up-and-up that we made sure the biological mother came to court.”
He added: “We didn’t make any money off the movie. Well, Michael Lewis [The Blind Side book author] gave us half of his share.”
“Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each.”
“No question, the allegations are insulting,” he concluded.
“But, look, it’s a crazy world. You’ve got to live in it. It’s obviously upset everybody.”
Son Sean Tuohy Jr has also spoken out.
In an interview with Barstool Sports, he said: “Man, if I had $2 million in my bank account, it would be in my email signature and say, ‘Signed, SJ Tuohy, multi-millionaire’.”
“I get why he’s mad, I completely understand.”
“It stinks that it’ll play on a very public stage.”
“People took positives from the movie, and people think negative of it.”
The public has added a shock reaction to this already shocking story.
They’re demanding Sandra Bullock is stripped of the Oscar she won for the movie
“So Sandra Bullock should have to give back her Oscar right, and man do we need to start checking these good feeling stories,” one person wrote.
Another added: “If the Michael Oher allegations are true then we have to go AND TAKE THE OSCAR back from Sandra Bullock and give it to Gabourey Sidibe for ‘Precious‘.”
However, others are pointing out the madness of this demand.
One wrote: “Not y’all calling for Sandra Bullock’s Oscar to be revoked. It ain’t her fault the real life people were exploitative scammers and thieves.”
Her “The Blind Side” co-star Quinton Aaron has spoken out in Bullock’s defense.
“We are living in a day and age where people are hell bent on pointing the blame on people and are just throwing things out there that’s wrong,” Aaron told New York Post.
“It’s like saying, ‘Let’s throw this person to the wolves.’”
“Sandra did nothing wrong. That’s my girl and she is going through a really tough time right now,” he continued, referencing the recent tragic death of her long-term partner, Bryan Randall, from ALS.
“I really feel like they should leave her alone and stop trying to come at her.”
What do you think of Aaron’s comments?
And now, an insider has revealed to the Daily Mail how Bullock is dealing with the situation.
“She hates that such a wonderful story, a spectacular movie, and a spectacular time in her life now has been tainted.”
“Now people won’t watch it and if they do, they will have a completely different reaction to its original intention.”
“There was so much hard work put into the film that they all thought was the truth and now that has been questioned, it just upsets Sandra to no end that a time in her life that was so special, is now shadowed with a completely different perspective.”
This unexpected turn of events marks a stark departure from the heartwarming narrative depicted in “The Blind Side.”
Oher’s story, one of overcoming adversity with the help of a loving family, now reveals a more complex and troubling reality.
As Oher seeks justice and transparency, his battle against the Tuohy family could potentially reshape the way we view “The Blind Side.
Along with adding some skepticism to how we view heartwarming internet stories overall.
