Michael Oher shocked the world when he recently filed a lawsuit against the Tuohys, his supposed adoptive family. Oher and the Tuohys are the subject of the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game written by Michael Lewis which was later on adapted as a movie – and now the star of said film has chipped in on the drama.
The Blind Side, the 2009 film based on the book, became a critical and commercial success. The movie went on to be nominated for Best Picture and earned Sanda Bullock her first Academy Award for Best Actress.
However, it looks like the real-life story between Oher and the Tuohys will not have a happy ending, unlike the movie. The former NFL star alleged in his lawsuit that Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy deceived him into signing the legal conservatorship papers to allow them to make business deals on his behalf. Oher said that the couple misled him into believing that he was signing adoption papers.
According to the lawsuit, Oher did not make a cent off of his own story in the movie which earned $309 million at the box office. The former football player is also requesting a full accounting of assets tied to his name.
Quinton Aaron, who played Oher in The Blind Side, reacted to the controversy surrounding the retired football star. The actor spoke with The Daily Mail about the issue and said that the whole situation was heartbreaking.
“I really feel like being a part of telling your story in this industry and trying to be as hands-on as possible in the process is definitely the way to go, ” Aaron said. “I’m not posting blame on anyone or saying someone should have did this, or someone should have been there.”
“I’m just saying, look, moving forward, I feel like if there’s ever a situation like this, in a way to prevent something like this from happening again, I think that all parties that are relevant to the story need to be involved in the making of the story from beginning to finish.”
He adds, “It has been crazy, I don’t really know how to put it in words. I don’t know personally anything about this, I learned when I saw the articles yesterday. But having met both parties, you know, obviously my heart breaks for the situation.”
“I was under the assumption, like everybody, that the family was good all these years. So it was just heartbreaking to see that article and my prayers go out to everyone. I’m hoping that it works out for the best. I hope that they can come to some kind of resolve that makes [everything] better.”
Aaron went on to defend Bullock amid the controversy surrounding the movie. There have been calls for Bullock to return the Academy Award she won for her portrayal of Leigh Ann Tuohy due to the recent situation.
“Sandra [Bullock] just suffered a loss and everything, so I’m pretty sure she’s probably trying to stay out of the [spotlight] and just handle her situation as best she knows how,” Aaron shared. “I heard some pretty disturbing things people were saying about her, and I’m not behind that. Leave her alone. Don’t come for my mama. I’m six-foot-eight, 400-plus pounds, and you don’t want those problems.”
The Tuohy family says they will request the courts to end their conservatorship.
