Author of ‘The Blind Side’ Speaks Out on Pay Discrepancies, Despite Success of Movie

Nick Wass/AP

The author of the book The Blind Side claims the only people that made a fortune from it were the ones that made the movie of the same name.

On Monday, former NFL player Michael Oher accused the Tuohy family of withholding the movie’s royalties from him. The 2009 movie — which landed actress Sandra Bullock an Academy Award — focused on Oher’s life under the family’s care before he went on to have a successful professional career.

The family has since denied any wrongdoing.

Oher’s story was first brought to the public’s attention by the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. Speaking with the Washington Post on Wednesday, Lewis revealed that not even the family was properly compensated.

“Everybody should be mad at the Hollywood studio system,” Lewis said. “Michael Oher should join the writers strike. It’s outrageous how Hollywood accounting works, but the money is not in the Tuohys’ pockets.”

Lewis added that 20th Century Fox paid $250,000 for the rights to make the movie, which he split 50-50 with the Tuohy family. His $125,000 came out to $70,000 after taxes and agent fees.

Fox, however, didn’t end up making the movie and the project was picked up by Alcon, a small production company backed by FedEx founder Fred Smith. In lieu of payment, Alcon offered profit shares. Lewis and the Tuohy family, he continued, were each paid $350,000.

According to Lewis, the Tuohy’s intended to share their royalty payments with Oher, but he began declining the checks. He believes the checks were instead deposited into a trust fund for Oher’s son.

“What I feel really sad about is I watched the whole thing up close,” Lewis said. “They showered him with resources and love. That he’s suspicious of them is breathtaking. The state of mind one has to be in to do that — I feel sad for him.”