The producers of the controversial 2009 movie The Blind Side have revealed how much money the Tuohy family and Michael Oher were paid.
Even before its legal battles, The Blind Side ran into controversy, telling the “true” story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless Black teen who is adopted by a wealthy white couple named Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, allowing him to pursue his dream of playing for the NFL. The film has been the subject of much debate, with critics arguing that it perpetuates the “white savior” narrative.
But that’s just the half of it. Nearly 15 years since the movie’s release, former NFL athlete Oher has filed a lawsuit against the Tuohys, claiming their adoption story is a lie and accusing them of tricking him into signing a document that made them his conservators, meaning they were able to make lucrative business deals in his name.
Oher has asked the Tennessee court to end the conservatorship and issue an injunction to stop them from using his name and likeness. He’s also requested “full accounting” of any and all money earned via Oher’s name and story. With this in mind, you might be wondering: how much was Oher and the Tuohy family paid for The Blind Side?
How much did Tuohy family & Michael Oher earn from The Blind Side?
In the fallout of Oher’s accusations, Alcon Entertainment – the production company behind The Blind Side – has spoken out to claim that the former pro football player and the Tuohy family were collectively paid around $767,000 for the film.
Alcon Entertainment co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove shared the figure with People, alleging that the payments were deposited via their talent agency for the movie.
Oher’s filing alleges that the Tuohys – including Leigh Anne, Sean, and their two children – “collectively received millions of dollars and Michael received nothing for his rights” to the book of the same name and the flick, which earned $309 million at the box office and saw Leigh Anne actress Sandra Bullock bag an Oscar.
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However, Johnson and Kosove argue in their statement that the deal for Oher’s rights was “consistent with the marketplace at that time for the rights of relatively unknown individuals. Therefore, it did not include significant payouts in the event of the film’s success.”
They added: “As a result, the notion that the Tuohys were paid millions of dollars by Alcon to the detriment of Michael Oher is false,” before alleging that The Blind Side is “verifiably authentic and will never be a lie or fake.”
However, Oher’s 14-page lawsuit tells a different story, accusing his co-conservators of starting negotiations for the film about their relationship with him shortly after the 2006 release of the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.
It claims the Tuohy children were paid $225,000 each in addition to 2.5% of the movie’s “defined net proceeds,” a gainful deal considering the film’s $309 million worldwide box office gross.
Whether or not Oher received any of the payouts from the tale about his life is yet to be seen, with his legal proceedings aiming to expose the truth.
You can read more about The Blind Side’s controversy here, and check out our other TV & movies coverage here.
