Former OL Oher Blindsided: Suing Tuohy's Claiming They Never Adopted Him

[blitzboy54]

21 hours ago, mrags said:

I mean, Oher received a home with a roof over his head. Not inside a slum with a crackhead 

mother and no father. He was guided into having an NFL career and made millions from it. 
 

im not saying he doesn’t have a gripe. Just seems kind of petty to complain about it now. The guy had a successful career in the NFL and made millions thanks to that family. Without them it doesn’t happen. He probably blew all his money and has no other options at this point. 

Almost nothing you said here is right. He was the number one offensive lineman prospect in the country. A 5 star recruit. The family had nothing to do with that. If they misrepresented themselves they are in the wrong. Maybe they didn't but this "he should just be grateful" stuff is bunk. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by blitzboy54

[jwhit34]

Blindside II - Can they get Jack Nicholson to play the father and channel his best Col. Jessup when he takes the stand in the civil suit trial? Sandra Bullock can play Leann again, I am thinking Charles Barkley as Michael Oher. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Sad that Oher went down this path. Pretty clear to me he was given some bad advice, and may now alienate people that care about him. 

[Motorin']

4 hours ago, aristocrat said:

does he not have control of his finances? Or did someone tell him they probably made millions and he doesn’t realize they didn’t? 

 

He's claiming they told him they were adopting him and instead the papers they had him sign gave ownership of his life rights to the family, which they then sold for the making of the film. 

 

Fraud and misrepresentation void contracts. The family either defrauded him or they didn't. And he's either owed back payment or he's not.

 

It's a legal question. 

 

 

 

[mrags]

1 hour ago, blitzboy54 said:

Almost nothing you said here is right. He was the number one offensive lineman prospect in the country. A 5 star recruit. The family had nothing to do with that. If they misrepresented themselves they are in the wrong. Maybe they didn't but this "he should just be grateful" stuff is bunk. 

“Oher was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003, and First-team Tennessee All-State.[3][5] Scout.comrated Oher a five-star recruit and the No. 5 offensive lineman prospect in the country.[6]Before that season and for his prior 20 months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and adopted him, although Oher would later allege in 2023 that they instead tricked him into signing a document making them conservators.[2] The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult childhood. They also hired a tutor for him, who worked with him for 20 hours per week.[3]”

 

“Oher's initial low grades were a barrier to his acceptance to an NCAA program. He raised his 0.76 grade point average (GPA) to a 2.52 GPA by the end of his senior year so he could attend a Division I school, by enrolling in some 10-day online courses from Brigham Young University. Taking and passing the online courses allowed him to replace Ds and Fs earned in earlier school classes, such as English, with As earned via the Internet.[8] This finally raised his graduating GPA above the required minimum.[3]”

 

again for the like 20th time now. I said he had a gripe. But it’s kinda petty. The kid was homeless. I’m and out of foster homes. In and out of living with school friends. His grades wouldn’t have allowed him to do just about anything. the family accepted him into their family. They put a roof over his head. Gave him food and shelter. Provided guidance and help to get him where he is today. So yeah, even though he does have merit to what he’s saying, he absolutely should be grateful that he was given the opportunities he was because I’d that family. Without them he would not be what he is today. 

[Einstein]

This stinks of Oher wanting a Payday.

 

The Tuohy is far wealthier than Oher ever was and ever will be. Why would a family that sold their company for the equivalent of $385 MILLION dollars, need to gain a few extra million from Oher? It is nonsensical.

 

We are not talking about wealthy people. We are talking about uber rich people.

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

This stinks of Oher wanting a Payday.

 

The Tuohy is far wealthier than Oher ever was and ever will be. Why would a family that sold their company for the equivalent of $385 MILLION dollars, need to gain a few extra million from Oher? It is nonsensical.

 

We are not talking about wealthy people. We are talking about uber rich people.

 

I agree it's nonsensical, but I'm not convinced it's entirely about the money.  I think maybe Oher feels hurt because someone convinced him the Touhy family used him.  

 

But it's hard to know motivation unless you know Oher personally.  In any case, it's a sad situation.  Oher used to be family with the Tuohy's.  Seems that's over.  Bad for all sides.  

[BillsfaninSB]

5 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

After reading Touhy's statements I was inclined to believe him. However, a couple of minor things dont add up.

 

1. As others pointed out, they totally could have legally adopted him.

 

2. His statement that none of them made any money from the movie, and all they got was half of the author's payment ($14k each, or about $60k total). I find it nearly possible to believe that the Touhy's being good business people just handed over all the rights to their story to the movie studio. That movie was up for Movie of the Year, won Oscars for other things, was a big hit... and it all just lined some studio exec's pocket? And they were ok with that? I'm sure a lot went to Sandra Bullock and maybe some other actors, but still... Just giving away your story seems idiotic.

 

My conclusion after studying all the evidence presented by both sides: I dont care at all. Start the season. Go Bills!!

 

Exactly!   It wouldn’t matter if I was homeless or had 10 homes.  I wouldn’t just giveaway the rights of my story for pennies just so a large movie studio and actors can get even richer.   It doesn’t add up.

 

I’m not knowledgeable on how much authors get for movie rights but $120K seems very low for major productions. 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by BillsfaninSB

[HIT BY SPIKES]

 

Tim McGraw was Touhy in the movie.

[Warriorspikes51]

did this inspire Brandon Shell to retire and sue his family too? 

[aristocrat]

5 hours ago, Motorin' said:

 

He's claiming they told him they were adopting him and instead the papers they had him sign gave ownership of his life rights to the family, which they then sold for the making of the film. 

 

Fraud and misrepresentation void contracts. The family either defrauded him or they didn't. And he's either owed back payment or he's not.

 

It's a legal question. 

 

 

 

well I dont think he’s claimed they’ve controlled his finances it’s just the movie money he claims he’s missing. However, the family claims he got the same share they got. He could also be upset that he thought he was getting a piece of the family business money if he was adopted. Seems like he’s getting some bad advice here unless there’s some other info 

[BillsShredder83]

14 hours ago, unbillievable said:

 

Why would the NCAA require an adoption/conservatorship to attend Ole Miss?

 

Is there a rule I'm not familiar with?

Quote

Tuohy said the conservatorship was drawn up to ensure that Oher was eligible to play football at the University of Mississippi.

Tuohy is a booster at the school, and if Oher wasn’t part of the family, there could have been potential NCAA issues sending him there, Tuohy suggested.

 

[Motorin']

14 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

well I dont think he’s claimed they’ve controlled his finances it’s just the movie money he claims he’s missing. However, the family claims he got the same share they got. He could also be upset that he thought he was getting a piece of the family business money if he was adopted. Seems like he’s getting some bad advice here unless there’s some other info 

 

So either the family is lying or he is mistaken about being swindled out of his film rights.

 

But the father is quoted today in People magazine claiming that his family never made a dime off the movie: https://people.com/blind-side-sean-tuohy-speaks-out-about-michael-oher-legal-petition-7643431

 

Oher alleges that each of the four Tuohy family members — Sean, Leigh Anne and their two children — made $250,000 outright from the movie, according to the petition, in addition to 2.5% in residuals. 

 

Sean Tuohy disputed that. “We were never offered money; we never asked for money... The last thing I needed was 40 grand from a movie,” Tuohy

added.

 

---

 

So they wrote in a book that Oher got paid along with them for the movie. But now are saying they didn't get paid at all... Which is it?

 

 

 

 

[BillsShredder83]

Id be feeling silly right about now if i was calling these people scum and "white saviors".  Dislike that term anyways, its a lose lose assumption.  So rich people have a chance to help a kid in a bad situation out, and don't, what do we call that? If they do step in, take a kid off the streets, theyre "white saviors".  Thats a really crappy label to throw around for any reason at all.

 

Even if it turns out these people took advantage of him, that label doesnt make sense when theres things like "fraudsters" and "con-artists" out there.  What good is coming from using that crappy label?  A white person should give pause before helping out someone different looking from them?  People should only adopt same race kids? What a nasty, fabricated label that is to hand out

[Bob Jones]

The plot thickens:

 

https://nypost.com/2023/08/15/michael-oher-accused-of-15m-shakedown-of-tuohy-family/
 

Story says that Oher and his reps were trying to extort $$$ from the family that enabled his prosperous life. Yikes.

[mannc]

6 hours ago, blitzboy54 said:

Almost nothing you said here is right. He was the number one offensive lineman prospect in the country. A 5 star recruit. The family had nothing to do with that. If they misrepresented themselves they are in the wrong. Maybe they didn't but this "he should just be grateful" stuff is bunk. 

Correct.  He was already a star athlete before they “took him in”.  

32 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

So either the family is lying or he is mistaken about being swindled out of his film rights.

 

But the father is quoted today in People magazine claiming that his family never made a dime off the movie: https://people.com/blind-side-sean-tuohy-speaks-out-about-michael-oher-legal-petition-7643431

 

Oher alleges that each of the four Tuohy family members — Sean, Leigh Anne and their two children — made $250,000 outright from the movie, according to the petition, in addition to 2.5% in residuals. 

 

Sean Tuohy disputed that. “We were never offered money; we never asked for money... The last thing I needed was 40 grand from a movie,” Tuohy

added.

 

---

 

So they wrote in a book that Oher got paid along with them for the movie. But now are saying they didn't get paid at all... Which is it?

 

 

 

 

Well it’s pretty easy to find out exactly how much money they made off the movie…our legal system is quite good at that…guess we’ll find out…

[Mr. WEO]

37 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

So either the family is lying or he is mistaken about being swindled out of his film rights.

 

But the father is quoted today in People magazine claiming that his family never made a dime off the movie: https://people.com/blind-side-sean-tuohy-speaks-out-about-michael-oher-legal-petition-7643431

 

Oher alleges that each of the four Tuohy family members — Sean, Leigh Anne and their two children — made $250,000 outright from the movie, according to the petition, in addition to 2.5% in residuals. 

 

Sean Tuohy disputed that. “We were never offered money; we never asked for money... The last thing I needed was 40 grand from a movie,” Tuohy

added.

 

---

 

So they wrote in a book that Oher got paid along with them for the movie. But now are saying they didn't get paid at all... Which is it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

This isn't correct.

 

They say that the author  split the book's movie rights  with them and that they then split that 5 ways.

 

 

[unbillievable]

20 minutes ago, mannc said:

Correct.  He was already a star athlete before they “took him in”. 

 

A star athlete who was flunking out of school.

 

Articles say OHER tested with a 80 IQ.

Forest Gump had a 75IQ.

 

The narrative is that he was not motivated and the tests were biased...

 

https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/the-blind-side-true-story-michael-oher

Edited August 15, 2023 by unbillievable

[dollars 2 donuts]

4 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I agree it's nonsensical, but I'm not convinced it's entirely about the money.  I think maybe Oher feels hurt because someone convinced him the Touhy family used him.  

 

But it's hard to know motivation unless you know Oher personally.  In any case, it's a sad situation.  Oher used to be family with the Tuohy's.  Seems that's over.  Bad for all sides.  

 

They stated public they still love him. 
 

 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

On 8/14/2023 at 5:13 PM, RobbRiddick said:

But Sandra Bullock seemed so genuine and kind

… and pretty hot