The Blind Side star Sandra Bullock is facing heated debates as real-life subject Michael Oher filed a lawsuit against the Tuohy family, leading some fans to question Bullock’s worthiness of her Oscar for her on-screen role as the family matriarch.
The 2009 sports drama centered on Michael “Big Mike” Oher (Quinton Aaron) as he is adopted by the Tuohy family, given a new life away from poverty to join the NFL as pro footballer. The movie became somewhat of an inspiration with Bullock starring as family matriarch Leigh Anne Tuohy. Bullock’s outstanding performance led to her Oscar nomination and win in 2009.
However, a recent lawsuit by the real-life Oher claimed he was never adopted. He learned he was put into a conservatorship while the Tuohy’s made financial gain. There is a divided debate among fans as some claim Bullock is now undeserving of the shiny Oscar due to the controversy.
But a certain co-star and devoted fans believe the lawsuit and statements made by Oher have nothing to do with Bullock’s on-screen portrayal.
Did Sandra Bullock know the truth behind The Blind Side?
Sandra Bullock had no idea about Michael Oher’s lawsuit, or the truth behind his conservatorship, and initially did not want to star in The Blind Side.
Dressed in pencil skirts, capri khakis, rings, and bleach-blond hair, Sandra Bullock transformed herself into a suburban matriarch for The Blind Side. Her on-screen character takes in Michael Oher after noticing his lack of decent clothes and food. Sooner rather than later, she took in Michael out of the kindness of her heart and treated him like family.
Bullock’s role was well-received by critics as a stern but loving mother figure who opened her home to someone who needed help. Back in 2009, her Oscar nomination and win was applauded. But according to Mirror, Bullock initially rejected starring in the movie.
She said “no” for eight months before taking on the role. In a 2012 interview, she explained, “I thought I was going to be responsible for destroying this man’s [Oher] two-year journey to tell this story.”
It seems that Bullock was somewhat right as Oher has gone public with his lawsuit against the Tuohys. He claimed that at the time he had no idea what a conservatorship was. It was only after the movie’s release did he start to realize something was wrong. Since the news, fans have called for Bullock to return her Oscar.
Fans want Sandra Bullock to return her Oscar for The Blind Side
Some fans believe Sandra Bullock is undeserving of the 2009 Oscar for The Blind Side. According to UniLad, a fan said, “So Sandra Bullock should have to give back her Oscar right, and man do we need to start checking these good feeling stories.”
According to the lawsuit, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy profited immensely from his career, the movie, and his name, and never adopted him as the movie claimed. But as the world was unaware of the truth behind Oher’s story with the Tuohy’s, so was Bullock.
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For some reason the whole blind side was fake thing makes me just hate Sandra bullock
— TheReal_Bryan🅿️acan (@PacanBryan) August 14, 2023
Still, many fans claim it is ill-fitting given the circumstances of Oher’s lawsuit. Bullock appeared on screen to portray a supposedly loving and unselfish mother who wanted to see Michael succeed.
On Twitter, Darren Rovell breaks down how much the Tuohy children made in comparison to Bullock to fuel Oher’s claims.
The Blind Side had a budget of $30 million and grossed $300 million at the box office.Based on standard cut, movie netted roughly $175 million.Touhy children reportedly got $225,000 + 2.5% of net proceeds.That's $4.6M each.Sandra Bullock was paid $5M.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 14, 2023
“The Blind Side had a budget of $30 million and grossed $300 million at the box office. Based on the standard cut, the movie netted roughly $175 million. Tuohy children reportedly got $225,000 + 2.5% of net proceeds. That’s $4.6M each. Sandra Bullock was paid $5M,” explained the tweet.
Other fans commented that Bullock was simply doing her job as an actor and performed her character as scripted and presented to her. Many felt blaming Bullock was not the right answer, and instead focus on the facts of Oher’s lawsuit.
Sandra Bullock was just an actress in The Blind Side. Michael didn't even know what was going on. Focus on the real issues, the Tuohys, a family of predatory thieves. What will losing an Oscar do? https://t.co/mZ6rwan2Mv
— These boots are made for walkin’ | Liberation (@MatildaWormhood) August 16, 2023
Author Craig Rozniecki said, “I’m seeing a lot of Sandra Bullock jokes since she won an Oscar for the movie Blind Side. Come on, she just lost her partner, and it’s not like any of this is her fault.”
Quinton Aaron defends Sandra Bullock amid Oscar controversy
The Blind Side star Quinton Aaron came to defend his co-star stating the current lawsuit story has nothing to do with her work as an actor and her Oscar.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Aaron was outraged by the comments made about Bullock. “To make a statement like that doesn’t make any sense. Sandra Bullock didn’t have anything to do with the real story that we’re reading as of right now,” he said. “She gave a brilliant performance. And that shouldn’t be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her.”
Since the news of the lawsuit, Leigh Anne Tuohy has not made any official comment. Meanwhile, Sean Tuohy commented, “We’re devastated. 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,” according to Daily Memphian.
You can read a full breakdown of Michael Oher’s lawsuit claims here and more fan comments on Bullock’s Oscar here.
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