Michael Lewis, author of the book, The Blind Side, which ultimately turned into a hit movie, rejected claims made by Michael Oher in his lawsuit as little more than predicated on a lie.
The Blind Side, as we all know by now, is a heartwarming film based on the life story of Oher, a homeless teenager taken in by a well-off family, the Tuohys.
The movie focuses on how the Tuohys, particularly Leigh Anne Tuohy, nurture Michael’s potential, both academically and athletically, leading him to become a star offensive lineman in football. Their compassion culminated in Michael’s success and eventual draft into the NFL.
Oher filed a lawsuit against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, alleging that he was misled into signing a conservatorship agreement instead of being adopted by the family, as he was led to believe.
Evidence shows that in his own book, Oher knew full well the difference between a conservatorship and a legal adoption.
Oher also claimed that he had not received an equal share of the money from the 2008 film based on his life.
‘The Blind Side’ Author Slams Michael Oher
It’s an absolute shame that one of the greatest feel-good sports movies in The Blind Side has turned into a money grab by Michael Oher.
Oher earned more than $34 million while playing in the NFL, according to Spotrac, a website that tracks sports contracts.
In a piece written by Michael Sokolove for the New York Times over the weekend, Lewis staunchly defended the Tuohy family for the sacrifices they made to make Oher’s life better. And he flat-out called the former NFL player a liar.
“You know they did not steal his movie money, right?” Lewis said. “This whole thing starts with that. It starts with a lie. I would just be very suspicious about everything else.”
“Did you get a sense of how much money they spent on him when he was living with them? They bought him a truck, they bought him clothes, they housed him,” he added.
“There’s not a whiff of possibility the Tuohys are going to milk money off Michael Oher. You’ve gotta sort of know more about them. They’re rich. And generous. They aren’t stingy rich people. They’re openhanded rich people.”
RELATED: Despite His Claims, Michael Oher WAS Paid For ‘The Blind Side’
Oher Was Upset About His Portrayal In The Movie
The New York Times article focuses on Michael Oher’s viewpoint in the lawsuit against the family portrayed in The Blind Side.
Oher seems dismayed over his portrayal in the film, suggesting he was presented as an unintelligent person who couldn’t do basic things without the help of this rich family.
While it is Hollywood, and things are often embellished or outright fictionalized, the former Baltimore Ravens lineman wasn’t presented as dumb. He was portrayed as someone so wrapped up in a drug-fueled upbringing (not of his own doing) that it’s all he lived and tried to escape.
When presented with the proper resources and new ways of looking at things, Oher was actually noted as being brilliant!
As football fans know, playing lineman isn’t for big dumb galoots. They’re some of the smartest players on the field, because they have to be.
“It seemed kind of funny to me, to tell you the truth, like it was a comedy about someone else. It didn’t register. But as social media was just starting to grow, and I started seeing stuff that I’m dumb,” he said. “Every article mentioned The Blind Side, like it was part of my name.”
“If my kids can’t do something in class, will their teacher think, ‘Their dad is dumb — is that why they’re not getting it?’”
He believes the book’s portrayal of him as slow cost him draft position (he was selected with the 23rd pick in the first round in 2009) and millions of dollars in contract money for a higher pick. The film came out after the draft, in November of 2009.
“The NFL people were wondering if I could read a playbook,” Oher added.
Lewis told the Times that his “book did poorly” and “never found its market.” It seems unlikely that scouts were going to drop him down the draft charts due to a poorly performing and little-read book.
The Tuohys have denied the allegations of deceit, stating that all profits from the movie were split equally among family members, including Oher, with each receiving about $138,000.
They’ve also claimed that Oher attempted a $15 million shakedown before going public with his allegations and said he threatened to “defame them on social media and/or TMZ as ‘fakes’ or ‘thieves’ if his money demands weren’t met.”
As of August 2024, while the conservatorship has been legally terminated, Oher’s quest for financial accountability from the Tuohys continues, focusing on what he believes he is owed from the earnings of his life story.
Oher played eight seasons as a starting offensive tackle in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl in 2013 with the Baltimore Ravens. He is a household name due to the fame brought by the successful movie. Without it, he would likely be a nameless career lineman as is often the case in the NFL.
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