Tuohy Family Denies Withholding ‘The Blind Side’ Royalties From Michael Oher — Alleges $15 Million ‘Shakedown’

Gerald Herbert/AP

The Tuohy family has denied former NFL player Michael Oher’s claims that he never received any royalties from The Blind Side — the 2009 movie based on his life under their care.

On Monday, Oher filed a petition to a Tennessee court requesting the termination of the family’s conservatorship over him. He claims he unknowingly signed the conservatorship papers shortly after his 18th birthday, mistaking them for adoption papers. Under this contract, he continued, he was never paid after the immense success of the movie while the Tuohy family made a fortune.

A day later, TMZ reported that Martin Singer — the Tuohy family’s attorney — released a statement refuting the petition. In fact, the family claimed, Oher tried to get $15 million out of them.

“In reality, the Tuohys opened their home to Mr. Oher, offered him structure, support and, most of all, unconditional love,” Singer said. “They have consistently treated him like a son and one of their three children. His response was to threaten them, including saying that he would plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid $15 million.”

The family also claimed that Oher was paid an “equal cut of every penny received from The Blind Side” and that it could be proven with “profit participation checks and studio accounting statements.”

Additionally, Singer said the conservatorship was never a secret and was done to help him with a variety of needs like acquiring a driver’s license and health insurance.

“Should Mr. Oher wish to terminate the conservatorship, either now or anytime in the future,” he said, “the Tuohys will never oppose it in any way.”

According to Singer, this isn’t the first time Oher has tried something like this. Previous attempts have been unsuccessful when “other lawyers stopped representing him once they saw the evidence and learned the truth.”