‘Blind Side’ family accuses Michael Oher of $20M ‘shakedown’ attempt – National | 24CA News
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy have spoken out towards claims that they tricked former NFL sort out Michael Oher right into a conservatorship as an alternative of adopting him, and made thousands and thousands off his identify whereas he obtained nothing.
Oher accused the Tuohy household of this, and extra, in a go well with filed Monday in search of to terminate the conservatorship.
In an announcement from the Tuohy household lawyer, obtained by The Associated Press, the Tuohys referred to as the lawsuit “hurtful and absurd” and mentioned it was a part of a “shakedown” try by Oher, 37, whose life story impressed the e book and film The Blind Side.
Lawyer Martin Singer claims that Oher tried to extract cash from the Tuohy household previously when he threatened to plant a unfavorable story about them within the press if the Tuohys didn’t pay him US$15 million (simply over C$20 million).
“They have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children,” Singer mentioned within the assertion. “His response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million.”
The assertion goes on to say that the concept that the Tuohys sought to revenue off Oher is “not only offensive, it is transparently ridiculous.” The assertion notes the Tuohys are price “hundreds of millions of dollars” and had no must “withhold a few thousand dollars.”
The Tuohys made their cash by proudly owning a string of fast-food franchises.
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy stand on a road in New Orleans, Feb. 1, 2013.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File
Singer mentioned the Tuohys hope Oher regrets his latest selections and that they will reconcile.
“In the meantime, however, they will not hesitate to defend their good names, stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit,” the assertion says.
The Tuohys, nonetheless, don’t deny that they’ve a conservatorship over Oher, although they insist they solely set it as much as assist him with medical health insurance, a driver’s licence and being admitted to school. The assertion says the Tuohys is not going to oppose Oher’s want to finish their conservatorship.
In an interview with the Daily Memphian, Sean Tuohy mentioned he was “devastated” by the lawsuit however nonetheless loves Oher, nonetheless.
“It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16,” he mentioned.
Sean Tuohy additionally contends that the household tried to undertake Oher across the time the conservatorship papers had been signed, however they had been unable to as a result of Oher had already turned 18. Only then did they determine on a conservatorship.
In the state of Tennessee, the place the Tuohys stay, the adoption of adults is permitted, based on regulation agency Anderson Hunter.
Oher filed a petition Monday in Shelby County Probate Court asking a choose to terminate the conservatorship initiated by the Tuohys in 2004 — months after he turned 18.
“Michael trusted the Tuohys and signed where they told him to sign,” the authorized submitting reads. “What he signed, however, and unknown to Michael until after February 2023, were not adoption papers, or the equivalent of adoption papers.”
Oher realized “that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys,” based on his petition.
He can be asking for a full accounting of his belongings contemplating his life story produced thousands and thousands of {dollars} by way of the film The Blind Side. He says he obtained nothing.
Oher has by no means been a fan of the film about his life, wherein his purported adoption by the Tuohy household performs a central component to the plot. He claims in his petition that 4 members of the Tuohy household — Sean, Leigh Anne, and their two kids — every remodeled US$200,000 from the film outright, along with 2.5 per cent in residuals.
Oher’s lawyer J. Gerard Stranch IV informed ESPN that the previous NFLer not too long ago realized he was the one one not receiving royalty checks for the film, and employed Stranch to look into it. That’s when the lawyer uncovered the conservatorship papers that confirmed Oher was by no means formally adopted by the Tuohys.
“Mike didn’t grow up with a stable family life. When the Tuohy family told Mike they loved him and wanted to adopt him, it filled a void that had been with him his entire life,” Stranch informed ESPN. “Discovering that he wasn’t actually adopted devastated Mike and wounded him deeply.”
Michael Oher #73 of the Carolina Panthers watches play towards the Arizona Cardinals in the course of the NFC Championship Game at Bank Of America Stadium on January 24, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
According to the Tuohy household assertion, brokers negotiated a small advance from the manufacturing firm for The Blind Side, which was based mostly on the e book written by Sean Tuohy’s buddy Michael Lewis. That included “a tiny percentage of net profits” divided equally with the Tuohys and Oher.
The household’s lawyer claims they’ve proof of this within the type of revenue participation cheques and studio accounting statements.
He claims Oher refused to money these “small profit checks” as a part of his “shakedown effort,” so the Tuohys deposited Oher’s share right into a belief account arrange for the previous NFLer’s son.
The Tuohys insist they obtained “not one penny” as Oher’s conservators.
The assertion claims that Oher has tried this “several times before” solely to have legal professionals cease representing him as soon as they realized the reality. The assertion referred to as this a “cynical attempt” as a part of Oher’s newest e book tour.
Oher was the twenty third total decide within the 2009 draft out of Mississippi, and he spent his first 5 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens the place he received a Super Bowl. He performed 110 video games over eight NFL seasons, together with 2014 when he began 11 video games for the Tennessee Titans. Oher completed his profession with two years in Carolina.
— With recordsdata from The Associated Press
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