Michael Oher Accused of Extortion for Alleged $15 Million Demand from Tuohy Family Regarding 'The Blind Side' Earnings
The Tuohy family accuses Michael Oher of a $15 million extortion attempt in their ongoing dispute regarding the earnings from the movie 'The Blind Side'
Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy’s ongoing conflict with Michael Oher takes a new turn as they accuse him of extortion. Court documents reveal alleged messages from Oher, 37, in which he calls the Tuohys “thieves” and demands $10 million to keep their dispute over The Blind Side earnings private.
"If there is no resolution by this Friday, I will publicly reveal how I was deceived by the supposed parents," Oher reportedly wrote. "That is the deadline."
The messages also allegedly indicated that Oher provided the Tuohys with his lawyer's contact information, encouraging them to get in touch if they were open to negotiation. Oher later raised the amount he was seeking from $10 million to $15 million after taxes. The responses from the Tuohys to Oher's text messages were not included in the documents.
The Tuohys filed a claim stating that Oher should not be granted a temporary injunction as they are not using his name for commercial purposes. They have also removed all references to Oher from their website. Additionally, they mentioned that Alcon Entertainment provided financial documentation showing that both the Tuohys and Oher earned $138,309 from the film "The Blind Side" in November. Us has contacted Oher for a comment.
The legal troubles for the family commenced in August when Oher made allegations that the Tuohy family never actually adopted him, despite the portrayal in the 2009 film, The Blind Side. According to Oher, he recently discovered that Leigh Anne and Sean had persuaded him to appoint them as his conservators, granting them the legal power to conduct business deals on his behalf.
Sean Tuohy, Leigh Ann Tuohy, and Collins Tuohy (Jim Spellman/WireImage)
Oher stated that he had consented to the conservatorship "believing that it would make him a part of the Tuohy family," but he also accused it of failing to give him any genuine familial connection to the Tuohys.
Oher claimed in his initial filing that the Tuohys had financially benefited from him and his story due to the film's success. He requested the termination of the conservatorship, as well as the couple paying him his fair share of profits and compensatory and punitive damages. In response, Sean argued that the conservatorship was needed for Oher to attend and play football at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi, where the Tuohys were alumni.
Later, Oher claimed that Sean and Leigh Anne had "negotiated a contract" for The Blind Side without his knowledge or consent. He stated that he was never provided with any written documentation regarding earnings from the movie and was forced to rely on verbal assurances from his co-conservators.
Deal of the Day
Melt Away End-of-Year Stress With This 'Perfect' Back and Neck Massager
View Deal
Oher's conservatorship ended in September after almost 20 years. In November, the Tuohys submitted paperwork stating that Oher received over $138,000 for his role in The Blind Side, with the final payment of $8,480.10 made in April of this year. According to People.
