Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | Film | August 17, 2023
Michael Lewis, the author of The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short recently spoke out about the lawsuit filed by former NFL player Michael Oher against the Tuohy family, Oher’s supposed guardians and characters in Sandra Bullock’s film The Blind Side.
In a lawsuit, Oher says that he was deceived by the Tuohys. He alleges that instead of adopting him, the Tuohys placed him under a conservatorship after turning 18, pocketing money from his life rights. The lawsuit claims the family members received $250,000 each and 2.5 percent of the film’s defined net profits.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Lewis denied that anyone involved in the book made millions from the movie adaptation. He expressed frustration with the system. “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.”
Michael Lewis was childhood friends with Sean Tuohy, who brought him the story.
Lewis revealed that he and the Tuohys received around $350,000 each after taxes and agent fees. The Tuohys, he said, planned to distribute the royalties among family members, including Oher, but Oher rejected the checks.
Lewis also said that he felt “sad” for Oher. “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.”
The issue of the conservatorship centers around a legal technicality allegedly designed to satisfy NCAA concerns, ensuring that Oher was not merely being directed to the Tuohys’ alma mater, Ole Miss, to play football. Lawyers for the family say that both Oher and the family received $100,000 apiece from the film, with taxes paid on the player’s portion.
In the meantime, a 2017 clip of the Tuohys on Below Deck discussing how they sought and were granted script approval from Steven Spielberg and Harvey Weinstein has resurfaced. The clip has been reframed in light of the lawsuit, and some on social media suggest that it is telling.
The Tuohys’ attorney, Marty Singer — whose clients include Bill Cosby and, more recently, Lizzo and Jonah Hill — is also accusing Michael Oher of attempting to shake down the Tuohys for $15 million.
