Legal Battle Between the Tuohy’s and Oher
The family and their former adopted son have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle over the earnings of the 2019 hit movie, ‘The Blind Side.”
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Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy adopted Michael Oher as a young teenager. However, in recent court filings, the couple claims the former NFL offensive lineman tried to extort over $15 million from them.
Shocking Revelations Brought to Light
The battle between the Tuohys and Oher came to light this past August when the former NFL star told a Tennessee judge the family never adopted him.
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This shocked the world, as the film clearly depicts the Tuohys adopting the teenager. Oher goes on to claim that the family used this story as a means to make millions of dollars.
Oher Demands A Huge Payout
In recent weeks, the Tuohy family have claimed Oher has threatened them.
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The family alleges the former NFL star sent them various text messages demanding a payout of $15 million or else he would take matters into his own hands by informing the press of their crimes.
Revealed Cout Documents
Court documents were obtained by the Us Weekly, which shed light on the alleged messages. Oher called the family “thieves” and demanded they pay him a large sum of money.
Source: Freepik
He allegedly said, “If something isn’t resolved this Friday, I’m going to go ahead and tell the world how I was robbed by [supposed] to be parents. That’s the deadline.”
Oher Demands More Money
The messages reveal that Oher initially requested $10 million from the Tuohys. He then sent them his lawyer’s information so they could reach out if they “want to negotiate.”
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The former football star later increased the amount to $15 million after taxes.
The Tuohys Fire Back
In the court filing, the Tuohys argue that Oher “should be denied” any kind of temporary injunction.
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The family claims they are “not engaged in a commercial use of” Oher’s name. Last month, the Tuohys even went as far as to remove all mentions of the former footballer from their website.
Blindside Earnings Revealed
According to the documents, the Tuohys revealed that Alcon Entertainment, the company behind the production of The Blind Side, released the film’s individual earnings.
Source: Freepik
The report reveals that both the Tuohys and Oher earned $138,309 for the film.
Termination of Conservatorship
Oher also seeks compensation as he believes the Tuohy family convinced him to make them his conservators.
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This gave the family the legal authority to make business deals in his name. Oher convinced a judge to revoke the 2004 conservatorship earlier this year.
Pay Me My Fair Share
In the initial filing, the former NFL star claimed that the Tuohys profited greatly off him, thanks to the success of the 2009 film.
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Oher then suggests the family pay him his fair share of the profits and compensatory and punitive damages.
The Conservatorship Was Necessary
Sean Tuohy has claimed on several occasions the conservatorship was necessary.
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According to Sean, in order for Oher to attend the University of Mississippi and play football, he had to sign the conservatorship.
Oher Began Demanding Money After Career Ended
The attorneys for the Tuohys claim that after Oher’s football career ended, he began demanding money from the family.
Source: Freepik
“Around that time, perhaps because he was no longer making a significant amount of money as a professional athlete, Mr. Oher became increasingly estranged from the Tuohys, believing incorrectly that they had not paid him the money he was owed,” the filing alleges.