Michael Oher “demanded $15 MILLION from the Tuohy family” earlier than filing a court petition to complete a conservatorship that he says allowed his “adopted” dad and mom to earn income from The Blind Side, a lawyer says.
Michael Oher demanded $15 million from Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy earlier than filing a petition to finish the home conservatorship over him, in accordance to a lawyer’s assertion to DailyMail.com.
Oher, the former NFL offensive lineman who impressed the e-book and film The Blind Side, filed a petition in a Tennessee court Monday accusing the family of fraud in his adoption. Instead, the petitioner alleges, the Tuohys had him sign the papers, making them his retainers, and then used that affiliation to monetize his story when the e-book and film grew to become trendy extra than a decade in the past.
But in accordance to legal professional Marty Singer, who represents the Tuohys, Oher had beforehand threatened the family and demanded an eight-figure payday. And in the event that they did not, Singer claims, the former Ole Miss standout mentioned he would “put a negative story on them in the press.”
The singer denied Oher’s claims, saying he had not been tricked by the Tuohy family into coming into the conservatory when he was 18.
Instead, Singer mentioned in his assertion, the conservatory was “created to meet Mr. Oher’s wants, from acquiring medical health insurance and acquiring a driver’s license to help with college admissions. If Mr. Oher needs to terminate the Conservatory now or at any time in the future, the Tuohys could have no objection.
Michael Oher (coronary heart) allegedly demanded $15 million from Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy
Michael Oher earned $34.5 million in 9 NFL seasons after releasing The Blind Side
The singer additional rejected Oher’s declare that the Tuohy family used the conservatory to deny him a whole bunch of 1000’s in movie income.
“The idea that a couple in a multi-hundred-million-dollar conspiracy would withhold a few thousand dollars in profit-sharing payments from anyone — let alone someone they loved like a son — defies belief,” Singer mentioned.
The singer admitted that the Tuohys received “a small advance from the production company and a small percentage of the film’s net profits,” which they each shared or tried to share with Oher, the legal professional mentioned.
“Over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal share of every penny he received from The Blind Side,” Singer talked about.
“Even lately, when Mr. Oher started threatening them about what he would do except they paid him eight figures and refused to pay Tuohy’s petty revenue checks as a part of this extortion try, they nonetheless deposited Mr. Oher’s equal share into a belief account that they opened for his son.
NOTICE OF THE TUOHY FAMILY
Press launch from Tuohy’s legal professional for the family, Martin Singer:
Anyone with a modicum of sense can see that Michael Oher’s outlandish claims concerning the Tuohy family are offensive and absurd. The concept that the Tuohys ever tried to benefit from Mr. Oher is not only offensive, it is fully ridiculous. Through onerous work and luck, Sean and Leigh Anne have earned a uncommon amount of cash of their restaurant enterprise. The concept that a couple would pay a whole bunch of 1000’s of {{dollars}} to withhold a number of thousand {{dollars}} in profit-sharing funds from anybody – not to mention somebody they cherished as a son – defies notion. .
In reality, the Tuohys opened their dwelling to Mr. Oher, offering him with building, assist, and most of all, unconditional love. They have persevered in treating him like a son and one in all their three kids. His response was to threaten them whereas saying he would run an unfavorable story about them in the press till they paid him $15 million.
When Michael Lewis, Sean’s pal since childhood, was approached to publish his e-book about Mr. Oher and the Tuohys in a movie about their family, his brokers brokered a deal that noticed them obtain a small advance from the manufacturing firm and a small share of the on-line income. They insisted that each cash they received be divided equally. And they delivered on that promise.
The proof, documented in income share audits and studio accounting stories, is clear: Over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal share of each penny he made from The Blind Side. Even not way back, when Mr. Oher began threatening them about what he would do till they paid him an eight-figure windfall, and as a part of that extortion, tried to bounce the Tuohys’ petty money receipts, they nonetheless gave Mr. Oher’s equal share in the belief account they opened for his son.
Furthermore, regardless of the false allegations in the lawsuit, the Tuohys have at all times been open about how the conservatory (which didn’t obtain a penny) was arrange to assist Mr. Oher’s wants, beginning with shopping for him medical insurance coverage and shopping for a driver’s license to assist with faculty admissions. . If Mr. Oher desires to dissolve the conservatory ultimately, now or at any time, the tuohys will not be going to object.
Unbeknownst to the common public, Mr. Oher has certainly tried to play this half a variety of instances – nevertheless, it seems that many alternative attorneys have stopped representing him as soon as they noticed the proof and found the actuality. Unfortunately, Mr. Oher has lastly found a ready facilitator and filed this ridiculous lawsuit as a cynical try to implement the concerns in his newest e-book tour.
The Tuohys will at all times take nice care of Mr. Oher. Their hearts ache for these circumstances. They desperately hope that he will remorse his current decisions, that ultimately he will make fully totally different decisions, and that ultimately they’ll reconcile with him. In the meantime, nevertheless, they won’t hesitate to defend their good title, oppose this shakedown, and win this abusive lawsuit.
The twenty third general decide in the 2009 NFL Draft, Oher loved a profitable nine-year profession regardless of some accidents. After 5 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and a Super Bowl win, Oher went on to play for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers earlier than retiring after the 2017 season.
Oher earned $34.5 million for his career.
Oher asks the common public to respect his privateness all through his proxy battle.
“I’m troubled by the revelation in the lawsuit today,” Oher mentioned Human beings. com in a press launch. “This is a distressing state of affairs for my family and me. I need to ask everybody to respect our privateness right now. For now, I’ll let the lawsuit talk itself and can’t remark additional.
